Sudden rains damage chilli, mango crop in Prakasam district

A farmer drying red chilli stocks that got damaged due to sudden rains in Naguluppalapadu village in Prakasam district on Wednesday.

The sudden rains that occurred on Tuesday night caused huge loss to chilli and mango farmers in Prakasam district. Heavy rainfall, accompanied by strong gales, occurred in many places in the district. Many sheds and old houses were damaged due to the gales, said the villagers of Uppugunduru.

Chilli crop and harvested stocks from nearly hundred acres of land got damaged in Naguluppalapadu. In mango orchards, fruits that fell down due to gales caused huge loss to the farmers in Ulavapadu on Prakasam and Nellore district borders. “I took 55 acres lease and raised chilli crop in Naguluppalapadu village. The sudden rain damaged the stocks dried in the fields,” said Marellela Sesaiah Bairagi.

“Many farmers raised chilli in Annangi, Kanaparthi, Mattigunta, Kallagunta, Ammanabrolu, Vommeram and other hamlets in Naguluppalapadu mandal in the district. Harvested stocks dried in the fields, worth crores of rupees, were damaged due to rain,” said Congress mandal party president and farmer, Swarna Krishnaiah.

“I invested close to ₹5 lakh on each acre. As the stocks got damaged, the value of the produce will come down,” Mr. Bairagi said. Mango farmers called on labourers to collect the fruits that fell down due to the gale at Ulavapadu on Wednesday.