Date:08/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/08/stories/2008040852920300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Rain brings woes to Medak ryots

Staff Reporter

Extensive damage to mango orchards, paddy fields and sunflower crop

— Photo: Mohd. Arif

Salvage operations: A farmer picking mangoes which fell down due to rain at the Fruit Research Station in Sangareddy on Monday.

Sangareddy: Heavy rain combined with stormy winds that lashed several mandals in Medak district caused heavy losses to mango orchards, paddy fields and sunflower crop.

Huge losses

The rain that poured continuously for hours on the midnight of Sunday affected standing crops in Sangareddy, Sadasivapet, Regode, Pulkal, Hathnoora, Andole, Kondapur, Alladurg and Shankarampet mandals. In Sangareddy mandal, mango orchards incurred huge losses with thousands of mangoes falling down into pools of rainwater.

In the Fruit Research Station, farmers who won the contract of the produce through auction were devastated with a large chunk of mangoes falling down. Rafeeq, Hyder and Babu Mia who won the contract by paying a sum of Rs. 12 lakh told the reporters that they are trying to salvage the mangoes by picking them up immediately.

However, they are worried that the premature-cut mangoes would have no market value as they could not be used in pickles.

Compensation sought

They demanded compensation for the loss from the government as the remaining mangoes on the trees would also show symptoms of the untimely rain and severe wind, thereby reducing their shelf life. Meanwhile, the FRS scientists have advised the mango farmers to go for ‘Amchur’ making with the premature mangoes.

Good demand

Farmers could easily convert the mangoes into mango powder which has good demand in Northern India. Interested farmers could have further details from the FRS here.