YSRCP seeks drought emergency declaration, relief package for Andhra farmers

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has urged the Andhra Pradesh government to declare a drought emergency and roll out a special relief package for farmers, citing a severe rainfall deficit and widespread crop damage across the state.

Speaking to reporters at the party's central office in Tadepalli on Sunday, M.V.S. Nagi Reddy, the party's state general secretary for agriculture and farmers' welfare, said Andhra Pradesh recorded a 54.73% rainfall deficit, affecting 653 of its 685 mandals. He identified Annamayya, Prakasam, Chittoor, Markapuram, and Visakhapatnam as the worst-hit districts.

Nagi Reddy noted that cultivation area has shrunk sharply, with only 69% of the normal area under crops, compared to 98.3% nationally and 91.84% in neighbouring Telangana. Groundnut, cotton, maize, jowar, millets, and pulses are among the crops that have suffered.

He criticised the government's suggestion that farmers shift to alternative crops, arguing such advice is impractical without assured rainfall, irrigation facilities, and subsidised seeds. He also questioned the proposal to reduce paddy cultivation in the Krishna delta, pointing out that paddy occupies 3.28 lakh of the 3.34 lakh acres under cultivation in Krishna district alone.

The leader highlighted a double burden on farmers: rising input costs alongside falling market prices for crops such as cotton, onion, maize, banana, and tobacco. He demanded an immediate assessment of crop losses and compensation on a per-acre basis, with funds transferred directly to farmers' bank accounts.

He further called for clearing pending input subsidies, crop insurance claims, interest-free loan benefits, and Annadata Sukhibhava payments. Nagi Reddy also urged the restoration of free crop insurance, financial assistance for families of farmers who died by suicide, and effective use of available irrigation water to protect standing crops.