Incessant rains in the last two weeks could adversely affect cotton and paddy crop in Andhra Pradesh this year. Reports suggest that Phailin cyclone and unabated rains have damaged crops in about five lakh hectares, with cotton and paddy receiving the maximum damage. Thousands of acres of standing crop are inundated in several districts.

“If there is no let up in the next one or two days, the loss could be much more,” Sarampally Malla Reddy, National Vice-President of All-India Kisan Sabha, told Business Line.

First pickings constitute about a fifth of all cotton produced in the State. The State has estimated cotton production at 60 lakh bales this year against the normal production of 40 lakh bales. Last year, when it grew the crop on 22 lakh hectares, it produced 56 lakh bales, almost doubling from 31 lakh bales in 2011.

Telangana region, which dominates the cotton area in the State, has been battered with unabated rains in the last few days, destroying cotton that has arrived in North Telangana market yards. The standing crop, too, has been impacted.

The industry and the Government initially thought that the area under cotton could drop to 15 lakh hectares but the area touched 22 lakh hectares again this year. This made the Government revise the estimates upwards. Unprecedented rains, however, could spoil the cotton farmers’ party this year.

Y.S.R. Kadapa district received 67 per cent excess rain in October, followed by Karimnagar (62 per cent), Adilabad (59 per cent), Kurnool (39 per cent) Warangal (36 per cent), Guntur (30 per cent), Srikakulam (26 per cent) and Krishna (23 per cent.)

The Telangana region, which takes a lion’s share in cotton area, received 22 per cent excess this month. Rains have upset the harvesting plans of farmers in several parts. While some farmers have already begun harvesting paddy in several parts, cotton farmers, too, have started their first pickings. Official estimates have put the loss of cotton crop in about two lakh hectares. This figure, however, is expected to rise as the IMD has forecast more rains in the State.

> kurmanath.kanchi@thehindu.co.in

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