El Nino cuts paddy yields in Nellore district
Paddy yields in the second-season crop have fallen in Nellore district due to El Nino, farmers said. Water was allocated for 3.5 lakh acres, but farmers sowed only three lakh acres. Cultivation cost per acre rose from Rs 36,000 last year to Rs 41,000 this season. With KNM 1638 and KNM 733 fetching Rs 27,000-29,000 per putti, growers expected four puttis an acre. Farmer P. Ravindra Babu of Tarunavayi lost six to seven bags an acre. District Agriculture Officer Satyavani said intense heat reduced grain quality.