PNS n ongole
Prakasam District Collector AS Dinesh Kumar has assured the cyclone-affected farmers of extending crop loss compensation, input subsidy and seeds on subsidy at the earliest and the preliminary reports on crop loss were already sent to the government.
The Collector, along with MLA Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, visited some of the cyclone-affected fields at Vengamukkapalem village in Ongole mandal on Friday. They saw the soaked tobacco and chilli crops in the fields and interacted with the farmers. They listened to the farmer’s difficulties in saving their crop.
Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said that crops including horticulture crops were affected in over 11,000 hectares by the Michaung cyclone in the district.
He said that due to the effect of the storm, there was heavy rain in the district on December 5th and 6 th due to which the fields got waterlogged and the crops were damaged adding that the heavy winds also damaged crops.
The Collector said that besides the paddy, horticulture crops like tobacco, blackgram, chilli and plantain were damaged.
“As per the preliminary estimation, the paddy crop was damaged in 4000 hectors, the Chilli crop in 2300 hectors and the plantain crop was damaged in 200 hectors in the district, Collector Dinesh Kumar said that the groundnut crop in 4,500 hectares rotten due to stagnation of rainwater when the crop was in the sprouting stage.
The government has ordered to provide seeds to the affected farmers at 80% subsidy. The tobacco farmers have suffered loss as the crop was damaged in over 10,000 hectares, he added.
“Steps are being taken to extend crop loss compensation through the crop insurance scheme and also input subsidy at the earliest. The soaked paddy will be purchased by the civil supplies department from the farmers. The crop loss preliminary estimation was sent to the government,” the Collector stated.
MLA and ex-minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy said the officials were taking steps to disburse the input subsidy and the crop insurance to the affected farmers besides seeds at subsidised price would be supplied.
Concrete steps were taken to ensure that the rainwater does not stagnate anywhere in Ongole city by the municipal commissioner, he added.
District Agriculture Officer Srinivasa Rao and horticulture officer Gopichand were among those who accompanied the Collector.
