Vijayawada, Sept. 6 -- YSR Congress Party State General Secretary for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare MVS Nagi Reddy demanded that the Andhra Pradesh Government immediately declare a drought emergency and announce a special relief package for farmers.
Addressing to the media at the YSRCP central office, at Tadepalli near here on Sunday, he said the State recorded a rainfall deficit of 54.73 per cent. Of the 685 mandals, 653 faced deficient rainfall. The situation was particularly severe in Annamayya, Prakasam, Chittoor, Markapuram and Visakhapatnam districts.
Nagi Reddy said only 69 per cent of the normal cultivated area was covered in Andhra Pradesh, compared with 98.3 per cent nationally and 91.84 per cent in Telangana. Groundnut, cott...