MAHBUBNAGAR: The untimely rains that wreaked havoc in erstwhile Mahbubnagar district during the last two days has left the agriculture sector as well as farmers devastated. According to preliminary estimate by officials, farmers have sustained a loss of around Rs 10 crore due to the rains. Paddy crop sown in 3,529 acres of land in Mahbubnagar was damaged completely and horticulture crops damaged in 532 acres.
In Nagarkurnool district, paddy cultivated in 594 acres and horticulture crops sown in 972 acres of land were damaged. The tenant farmers have come out to be the biggest losers of the rain fury. They had made an investment of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per acre to grow the crops. Of these, 90 per cent of farmers did not get their crops insured.
This has left them completely ruined as they are not eligible to avail the crop insurance benefit. The officials are yet to begin their field visits to assess the loss. Speaking to Express, Mahbubnagar district agriculture officer Sucharitha said the district had never witnessed such a huge loss to standing crops during last five years. District horticulture officer Sarojini told Express that the horticulture crops sown in 140 hectares of land were completely damaged. “Our primary assessment is that there is a loss of Rs 25.2 lakh due to rains. The State will pay Rs 18,000 as compensation per hectare,” she said.