Inter-ministerial team assesses drought impact on groundnut crops in Chittoor dist

Tirupati: The Inter-Ministerial Central Team on Thursday visited villages in Palamaner and Ramakuppam mandals in Chittoor district to assess the damage and losses caused to groundnut crops during the Kharif season.

The team, comprising Anju Basera from the animal husbandry and dairying department, Pradeep Kumar from Mahalanobis national crop forecast centre and Krishna Godavari Basin organisation (KGBO) and central water commission (CWC) director Devendra Rao, interacted with farmers to understand the impact of the drought on their farms and crops.

Joint collector Srinivasulu and officials from various departments briefed the central team on the damage and losses suffered by farmers in Palamaner, Ramakuppam, Gangavaram,and Rompicherla mandals.

These areas were identified as drought-affected, leading to an on-the-spot study by the central team.

Srinivasulu highlighted the scarcity of water in Palamaner and Ramakuppam mandals. He said the crop losses were due to the monsoon conditions and untimely rain, coupled with a lack of permanent water supply.

He said that out of the targeted 51,266 hectares of groundnut crop for Kharif-2023 in the district, only 15,038 hectares could be cultivated due to adverse weather conditions.

During a face-to-face meeting with farmers in Gundlapalli, the drought team listened to the concerns of farmers, who shared the financial burden of cultivating groundnut crops. Farmers cited issues such as insufficient water availability in ponds, a lack of tractors, unavailability of quality seeds and the need for support for those dependent on livestock for their livelihood. They pleaded for financial assistance from the government.

Elephant-related damage to crops was also discussed during the meeting. The farmers urged the government to install solar fences and lights to protect their fields.

The inter-ministerial team acknowledged the challenges faced by the farmers, including losses from drip irrigation, micro-irrigation and the financial strain resulting from heavy investments in groundnut crops.

Farmers emphasized that despite their heavy investments, they were not receiving fair prices for their crops. They urged the team to link employment guarantee works to agriculture and increase the NREGS working days from 100 to 150.

The team assured the farmers that a comprehensive report would be submitted to the government, outlining the issues faced by the farming community and proposing measures to mitigate the impact of the drought.

Following the meeting in Palamaner, the team conducted inspections of damaged groundnut crops in Srirangarajapuram, Gorrimakulapalli, and Bandarlapalli villages.