Cyclones Arnab and Murasu have caused extensive agricultural damage across Andhra Pradesh affecting crops spread over 4,61,194 hectares according to officials. Horticultural crops have also suffered losses across 29,960 hectares, leaving thousands of farmers facing financial difficulties.
State Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu has directed officials to speed up the assessment of crop damage and ensure that no eligible farmer is excluded from the enumeration process.
Cyclone Arnab damaged agricultural crops across 3,27,843 hectares in 15 districts, affecting 5,23,136 farmers. The affected area accounted for 30.05% of the total cultivated area of 10,90,933 hectares in these districts.
Officials estimated production losses at 9,78,091 tonnes, with the financial damage reaching ₹2,392.84 crore.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district was among the worst-hit areas, with 99.19% of its cultivated land affected. The estimated financial loss in the district stood at ₹348.88 crore, impacting 94,808 farmers.
The estimated relief requirement for Cyclone Arnab damage was ₹815.57 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and ₹714.96 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
Cyclone Murasu damaged agricultural crops across 1,33,351 hectares in nine districts, affecting 1,86,269 farmers. The affected land represented 23.71% of the total cultivated area of 5,62,445 hectares.
The cyclone resulted in an estimated production loss of 3,38,302 tonnes and financial losses of ₹816.53 crore. The relief requirement was assessed at ₹321.64 crore under the SDRF and ₹266.67 crore under the NDRF.
The horticulture sector has also suffered considerable losses. Cyclone Arnab damaged 23,211.48 hectares of horticultural crops across 1,310 villages, 215 mandals and 15 districts, affecting 58,990 farmers.
Officials have completed the assessment of 23,035.08 hectares, covering 58,630 farmers. This represents 99.24% of the affected area. Registration of the remaining 176.40 hectares involving 360 farmers is pending. Fourteen districts have completed the exercise, while Krishna district has recorded 86.67% progress.
The assessment following Cyclone Murasu remains significantly behind. It damaged 6,748.52 hectares of horticultural crops across 530 villages, 106 mandals and eight districts, affecting 12,586 farmers.
However, officials have completed enumeration for only 2,211.73 hectares, covering 3,392 farmers, or 32.77% of the affected area. The remaining 4,536.79 hectares involving 9,194 farmers are yet to be registered.
During a review meeting with Agriculture and Horticulture Department officials, Minister Atchannaidu instructed them to conduct comprehensive field-level assessments of the damage caused by both cyclones.
He directed officials to identify unrecorded crop areas and affected farmers district-wise and complete the enumeration without delay. The Minister stressed that every eligible farmer must be included in the assessment so that they can receive the assistance due to them.