Rains, hailstorm cause heavy loss to mango, paddy crops

Mahbubnagar:The unseasonal rains during the past 24 hours have caused unrecoverable loss to the mango and paddy farmers across Palamuru region.

Particularly the regions of Kollapur, Wanaparthy, Alampur and Nagarkurnool districts are known for the mango crops in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district. As this is the right season for the mango flowering and grooming of the mango crop, the unseasonal rains combined with heavy hail storm has wreaked havoc in Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy district, damaging standing paddy crop and mango crop.

According to estimates, in Nagarkurnool district along the farmers have grown mango orchards over an extent of more than 40,000 acres, with the recent rains more than 70 per cent of mango plantation have been damaged causing huge loss for the mango farmers.

"The hail storms during the past 24 hours have caused huge damage to the mango plantations in Kollapur. Particularly this is the right time for the mango crop. Thousands of mango farmers have invested a lot of money. But with the hail storm the flowers and the small mangos have shed down and this will impact greatly on the final yield," observed Narasimha, a mango farmer from Veepanagandla mandal of Wanaparthy district.

Due heavy winds in some places, the trees have got uprooted, while in many places the mangos in the mango orchards have fallen due to the winds and hail storm causing loss of crores of rupees to the farmers. "This year I was expecting a return of Rs. 3 lakhs for my 2-acre mango plantation, but with this hail storm, I may not even get half of the amount this time," said worried Narasimha.

The district administration of Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy and Gadwal districts has already directed the concerned agriculture and horticulture officials to assess the damage caused by the recent rains. Very soon the officials are expected to submit a report on the same to the district Collectors on the damage caused by the hail storms in the district.

In the past 24 hours, the Nagarkurnool district alone witnessed a rainfall of 283milli meters and according to the metrological officials, heavy to heavy rains along with high speed winds and hail storms are predicted across Palamuru region. The farmers, shepherds and others are advised to observe caution to avoid any damage or deaths due to hail storms and thunderbolts.