Agricultural and horticultural crops across Andhra Pradesh have suffered extensive damage due to the impact of two recent cyclones.
Agricultural crops over 4,61,194 hectares and horticultural crops across 29,960 hectares were damaged by cyclones Arnab and Murasu in Andhra Pradesh, according to The Shillong Times and The Hindu.
State Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu reviewed the damage with senior officials during a teleconference on Tuesday. He directed officials to conduct a comprehensive field-level assessment and expedite the enumeration process to ensure no eligible farmer is left out.
Cyclone Arnab affected 3,27,843 hectares of agricultural crops across 15 districts, impacting 5,23,136 farmers. This resulted in an estimated production loss of 9,78,091 tonnes and a financial loss of Rs 2,392.84 crore.
In Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district, 99.19 per cent of the cultivated area was damaged, affecting 94,808 farmers with a financial loss of Rs 348.88 crore. The estimated relief requirements for Arnab include Rs 815.57 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and Rs 714.96 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
Cyclone Murasu damaged 1,33,351 hectares of agricultural crops across nine districts, affecting 186,269 farmers. The estimated financial loss for Murasu is Rs 816.53 crore, with a production loss of 3,38,302 tonnes.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu stated that preliminary assessments put the state's losses at around Rs 1,918.5 crore. He directed officials to expedite relief and restoration work, including electricity and drinking water supplies.
