Unseasonal Rains Wreak Havoc on Andhra Farmers; Jagan Slams Govt Over ‘Negligence’
Unseasonal rains sweeping across Andhra Pradesh over the past two days have caused widespread devastation to standing crops and harvested produce, leaving farmers reeling under severe losses. Fruit orchards, paddy fields, and stored harvests were inundated, compounding the distress already caused by an underwhelming Kharif season.
Farmers across several districts have voiced their anguish, citing both crop destruction and financial hardship. Many said the unexpected rains soaked their harvested grains, while damage to horticultural crops like bananas, mangoes, and papayas further intensified losses.
Former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy reacted sharply to the crisis, accusing the state government of gross negligence. “Despite having advance weather alerts, the government failed to act. They have abandoned the farmers to suffer the consequences,” Jagan alleged.
He further criticized the state’s failure to procure paddy from farmers on time. “Even before this rainfall, farmers were already under stress due to poor yields and unremunerative prices. Now, with their produce submerged and no procurement system in place, they are left with nothing,” Jagan said.
Holding a teleconference with senior YSRCP leaders from Tadepalli, Jagan instructed them to visit the affected areas, meet the distressed farmers, and extend moral support. He announced that the party would mount pressure on the ruling administration to immediately compensate farmers and initiate damage assessment.
The YSRCP also plans to escalate the issue to the Assembly and highlight what it calls “the government’s apathy” toward the agricultural sector.
Local officials have begun preliminary assessments of the affected areas, but no formal relief announcement has been made so far by the state government.
With crops lost and recovery uncertain, farmer associations are urging both state and central governments to declare the affected regions as disaster-hit and provide urgent financial relief. The full scale of the agricultural loss is expected to emerge over the coming days.
