Union Minister promises all support to farmers hit by cyclones in Andhra Pradesh

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Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar inspecting the paddy crop damaged due to Cyclone Murasu at a village in Kollipara mandal in Guntur district on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: T. VIJAY KUMAR

The government will extend maximum possible assistance to every farmer who suffered crop losses due to cyclones ‘Arnab’ and ‘Murasu’, says Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar.

Inspecting the affected agricultural fields in Kollipara mandal along with MLC Alapati Rajendra Prasad, the Union Minister said that paddy, black gram and cotton crops suffered extensive damage due to the cyclones. Farmers had achieved yields of nearly 50 bags per acre this year with irrigation water supplied through the Pattiseema project and despite El Nino-induced drought conditions, he observed.

The government was already providing ₹20,000 under the Annadata Sukhibhava-PM Kisan scheme and would additionally extend input subsidy after assessing the crop losses, he said.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking Central assistance, he informed and assured the farmers that he would pursue the matter at the Central government level.

Mr. Chandra Sekhar directed the officials to complete the crop-loss enumeration in 48 to 72 hours without missing any affected farmer, despite their engagement in the election duties.

Appealing to the landowners to ensure input subsidy reached the tenant farmers, the Union Minister said their financial stability was essential for sustaining agriculture. He also urged the farmers to enrol themselves in the crop insurance schemes for protection against natural calamities.

He said scientists from the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University had been assigned seven to eight villages each, and they should visit fields regularly to guide the farmers on crop protection and disaster management.

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