Andhra Pradesh Govt. to Disburse Rs 160.55 crore to 8.22 Lakh Farmers on Nov 28

Farmers in Andhra Pradesh who suffered crop losses this year during the kharif season will receive compensation (input subsidy) on November 28. On the same day, Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will distribute Rs 160.55 crore to 8.22 lakh farmers for zero-interest loans for the 2020-21 rabi and 2021 kharif seasons.

60,832 acres caused by floods in the Godavari river in August and subsequent unseasonal rains in September and October.

According to official data, 21,799 farmers have suffered losses on 34,292 acres across 20 districts, while floods and torrential rains have damaged horticulture crops across 26,540 acres across 14 districts, affecting 24,199 farmers.

Farmers in the Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district have suffered crop losses totaling 12,886 acres. In comparison, those in the Alluri Sitaramaraju district have suffered crop losses totaling 42.5 acres, the lowest in the state.

Farmers in the drought-prone Prakasam district are concerned about a drop in Kharif acreage, even though the season is set to end by September.

According to Agriculture Department data, crop coverage has been 1.31 lakh hectares so far this Kharif season, compared to the normal of 1.71 lakh hectares. With 67.2 mm of rain in September, the rainfall deficit was 13.3%. With 35 rainy days in July and August, the overall rainfall deficit was estimated to be only 6%.

Due to late rain, the acreage of red gramme, the district's main pulse crop, decreased by 58% to 48,613 hectares this Kharif.

The overall pulse coverage gap stood at 64,663 hectares. According to official sources, paddy crop coverage was also poor, with only 45% of the average acreage of 18,000 hectares grown.