Yadgir suffers more than 33% crop loss due to rain, floods

Yadgir district has suffered an extensive crop loss in more than 33% out of the 96% of the area covered for the kharif season due to torrential rain and floods during August and September.

According to a joint survey conducted by the Agriculture and Horticulture departments to assess the crop loss, 1.42 lakh hectares with standing agricultural crops, including cotton and red gram, have suffered damage, while 403 hectares of horticultural crops, like tomato and papaya, have also been destroyed.

The officers have submitted the survey report to the State government through the district administration, sources said.

The target for the 2025-26 kharif season in the district was 4.16 lakh hectares, of which 4.10 lakh hectares have been covered. But copious rainfall and floods, after both the Krishna and Bhima rivers swelled, have destroyed crops extensively.

The details of crop damage, both agricultural and horticultural, are as follows: cotton 1,05,496 hectares, paddy 4,602 hectares, green gram 2,469 hectares, bajra 824 hectares, sunflower 222 hectares, sugarcane 41 hectares, papaya 75 hectares and tomato 19 hectares.

Shahapur taluk, with 39,996 hectares, has suffered the highest crop loss in the district, while Gurmitkal, with 9,019 hectares, comes last.

Among the other taluks, Wadagera has suffered crop loss in 28,360 hectares, Shorapur 20,831 hectares, Yadgir 23,426 hectares and Hunsagi 20,672 hectares.

Among crops, cotton has suffered the most damage, with 1.05 lakh hectares lost to rain and floods.

The taluk-wise details are as follows: Shahapur 32,688 hectares, Wadagera 26,059 hectares, Shorapur 15,039 hectares, Hunsagi 10,405 hectares, Yadgir 16,393 hectares and Gurmitkal 4,911 hectares.

Farmers, who have spent thousands of rupees starting from land preparation to spraying chemicals after sowing, are waiting for suitable compensation for crop loss as they have to prepare land for the coming rabi season.