Turmeric sowing in Andhra Pradesh is behind - Crop damaged due to heavy rains

04-Sep-2024 01:59 PM

Guntur. Heavy rains and severe floods in Andhra Pradesh have caused heavy damage to red chilli as well as turmeric crops in some major producing districts.

Andhra Pradesh is among the leading producing states of both these important spices. Firstly, the area under turmeric cultivation has reached only 15,482 hectares this time as compared to 33,283 hectares last year and secondly, due to floods and rains, there is a possibility of damage to the crop in about 3100 hectares of it.

Out of this, damage to the crop in about 1200 hectares is being reported only in Bapatla district. About 4700 farmers have been affected by the damage to the turmeric crop in the state. Assessment of crop damage is still going on. It is believed that farmers may try to sow turmeric again in many areas.

In Andhra Pradesh, turmeric crop has also been damaged in Krishna, Guntur and NTR districts. If the rain and floods continue further, the production of turmeric in the state can be affected to a great extent.

The Meteorological Department has expressed the possibility of a low pressure area forming over the Bay of Bengal near the Andhra-Orissa coast, which may lead to heavy rainfall there in the next few days.

The Krishna river is already in spate. Apart from Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Orissa, the turmeric crop in Maharashtra is also at risk from floods and rains.

If there is a possibility of a fall in crop production, the price of turmeric may rise. Its festive and foreign demand is also expected to increase.