The incessant post-monsoon rains have become a matter of concern for farmers as they are playing havoc with the standing crops as well as the harvested crops such as paddy, soya, cotton and maize. Paddy in hundreds of acres got damaged due to the recent heavy rains in Yedapally, Dichpally, Armoor, Sirikonda, Mogpal, Navipet, Makloor and Renjal mandals. Paddy was damaged heavily while for other crops it was to a little extent. The loss is heavy as paddy reached the most susceptible stage and grain shredding is high. Soya and maize, which were harvested and spread on open platforms in villages, got soaked in the rain water causing enormous loss to farmers who invested on them, borrowing money at higher rate of interest from private moneylenders. According to District Agriculture Officer (in-charge) Mohammed Wajeed Hussain, in the last one month rains ruined crops, mostly paddy, in over 7,000 acres. The worst hit were crops in Yedapally, Dichpally, Rudrur and a couple of other mandals. Paddy harvest is over only in 30 per cent of the total transplanted area and if the rains continue in the coming days crop damage would be still high, he said. He said that agriculture officers are on the job of collecting details of crop damage. Farmers who were happy expecting a bumper harvest as the crop was not infested this season are disappointed with sudden and heavy rains at the time of crop cutting. Maize and soya got soaked when they were about to be shifted to markets. Maize though is fetching a good price, ₹300 more than the minimum support price of ₹1,760 per quintal fixed by the Central Government. With the damage its rate fell down up by ₹200 and more. Farmers deplored that they invested up to ₹20,000 per acre on paddy and now they would not get even the investment, let alone profit. Source - https://www.thehindu.com