Erratic weather batters crops across north Andhra

Visakhapatnam: Rain accompanied by gusty winds damaged standing banana, maize, cashew and mango crops in parts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh. Mango farmers in the region worry that further thunderstorms and gusty winds may further reduce yield and quality, as the crop is in its harvesting stage.At least 800 to 1,000 acres of banana, cashew and mango crops in parts of north Andhra (Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalle, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Parvathipuram Manyam districts) were damaged by thunderstorms and gusty winds over the past few days.Erratic weather and pests hit the mango crop hard this year, with yield declining by around 50 percent. The mango and cashew farmers were further distressed as recent rains washed away the remaining hopes, with standing crops damaged, said V Naidu, a mango farmer in Manyam district. Mango cultivation in north Andhra Pradesh covers 50,000 hectares in Vizianagaram, Anakapalle, Srikakulam and Manyam districts. Most farmers have been growing Banginapalli, Suvarnarekha and Panukulu varieties to meet demand in Odisha, West Bengal, Mumbai, Delhi, and a few other parts of north India and abroad.The north Andhra region is famous for its Suvarnarekha mango variety. The fruit has beautiful golden-yellow skin with a reddish blush. The pulp is juicy and sweet, with a subtle tang, and is fibreless. However, this year the Suvarnarekha mango became dearer due to poor yield, said mango traders. At least 500 acres of banana crop were damaged in parts of the Manyam and ASR districts due to gusty winds, they added.The IMD forecast that thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are likely at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh (CAP), Yanam and Rayalaseema. Gusty wind speeds of 40-50 km/h are likely at isolated places over the CAP and Rayalaseema for the next two to three days.