Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed the officials to make a thorough assessment of crop loss incurred by farmers due to the untimely rains on March 18, and to take necessary action in view of the likelihood of more showers.

Taking stock of the crop damages in a review meeting on Thursday, Mr. Naidu said real-time weather updates and alerts should be disseminated so that the farmers would be able to protect their crops to the extent possible. He called for full details of the  damages caused by gales, rain, and hail, and steps to mitigate the losses.

Officials told the Chief Minister that as per preliminary estimates, crops were affected in 89 villages of 16 mandals, particularly in Krishna, Nellore, Sri Sathya Sai, NTR, Anantapur, and Parvathipuram-Manyam districts. They said paddy was destroyed in 384 hectares, maize in 630 hectares and black gram in about 200 hectares, and 2,043 farmers suffered losses. The total acreage of agricultural and horticultural crops damaged was 1,481 hectares, they said.

The rains severely affected horticulture crops in Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai, and NTR districts. Crops, including banana, papaya, mango, and orange, in about 267 hectares were damaged, the officials apprised the Chief Minister.