A woman farmer drying the red chilli, soaked in rains occurred in the last two days, at Harichandrapuram village, Thullur mandal in Guntur district. File
| Photo Credit: G. N. Rao
The untimely rains that occurred in various places in the State in the last two days damaged paddy, chilli, mango, turmeric and maize crops, causing huge loss to the farmers.
The paddy, chilli and maize farmers have dried up the crop at the fields and on the roads. But, the sudden rainfall damaged the produce and the crop which was ready for harvest.
Paddy stocks were damaged in Krishna, NTR, West Godavari, Eluru, East Godavari and other districts. Turmeric and chilli stocks were soaked in rain water in Guntur, Krishna and NTR Districts due to the rainfall.
“Farmers were seen trying to cover the paddy and chilli stocks at the fields with tarpaulins. However, crops which were kept for drying were soaked due to the sudden rains occurred during the night,” the farmers said.
Paddy crop which was ready for harvest was damaged in many villages in Veeraasaram, Bhimavaram, Narsapuram, Kovvur, Tadepalligudem, Tanuku, Palakoderu, G. Konduru, Avanigadda, Prathipadu and other mandals in West Godavari, Guntur and other districts.
“Two farmers and a cattle rearer reportedly died due to thunderstorms in Krishna district. Mango and other fruits dropped in Nuzvid, Agiripalli and other mandals due to gales,” said a farmer, K. Rama Rao on April 24.
“Chilly crop which was ready for harvest and those that were packed in bags in the villages in A. Konduru, Tiruvuru, Mylavaram and other mandals were damaged in the moderate rainfall in the last couple of days,” the farmers said.