Agriculture Department ramps up cyclone preparedness with data-driven field action

The Agriculture Department has intensified field-level preparedness to minimise crop damage ahead of the impending Cyclone Montha. Data and information on rainfall projections and wind speeds will be disseminated to cyclone-affected and sensitive villages to enable timely preventive action.

Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Budithi Rajasekhar held a teleconference on Monday to review the situation. He said that using data analytics through AP-AIMS, developed by Vassar Labs, the department has identified vulnerable villages along the expected path of the storm, based on rainfall forecasts, wind speeds, and crop stages. This information has been shared up to the last-mile field assistants and Rythu Seva Kendras, who have been instructed to visit farmers personally and offer crop protection advice and technical guidance.

Mr. Rajasekhar emphasised that immediate steps should be taken to safeguard crops and livestock in cyclone-prone areas. He directed officials to keep farmers updated every three hours with the latest cyclone bulletins and remain accessible throughout the crisis. The RTGS will conduct IVRS-based performance reviews by collecting direct feedback from farmers, and any negligence by field officers will invite disciplinary action, he warned.

Agriculture Commissioner M. Jilani Samoon said continuous advisories were being issued to field officers, while irrigation authorities in the Godavari districts had been instructed to regulate or suspend canal discharges to prevent flooding. Vulnerable embankments were being reinforced, and awareness campaigns were under way to prevent water stagnation in fields. Drainage arrangements were also being coordinated with local officials, he said.

He added that 6.23 lakh acres of paddy had been identified in cyclone-sensitive villages, and 69 lakh SMS alerts had already been sent to farmers with crop-specific guidance. A 24x7 State control room has been set up with dedicated agricultural staff to manage real-time coordination.

Horticulture Commissioner Srinivasa Rao said banana and vegetable crops were likely to be severely affected, especially in Konaseema and Kakinada districts. He advised farmers to secure banana plants with stakes to prevent uprooting.

Fisheries Commissioner Naik said that while four fishing boats from Odisha were yet to return, all remaining fishermen and boats had been brought back to safety, with strict instructions against venturing into the sea.

Agricultural Marketing Commissioner Vijay Sunitha said cotton crops were likely to suffer damage after paddy, particularly in NTR district, where pods had begun blackening due to excess moisture. She urged officials to ensure that ready cotton stocks were procured immediately before the cyclone’s landfall, noting that moisture content was a critical factor for Cotton Corporation of India procurement.