No relief for Chittoor, Annamayya farmers despite back-to-back cyclones

Even after two back-to-back cyclones lashed the Andhra coast, parched fields in Chittoor and Annamayya tell a tale of acute moisture deficit, water and mounting debt.

For thousands of farming families across Chittoor and Annamayya districts, these storms haven’t washed away a deeply suffocating dry spell. With seasonal rainfall below the average, groundwater tables are under severe strain, and the crucial rabi sowing window is fast approaching.

In Annamayya district, farming communities received 288.5 mm of rain against a normal quota of 549.1 mm between June 1 and November 3, marking a severe deficit of 47.5%. Groundnut and redgram heavily dominate the agricultural landscape here, accounting for nearly 75 per cent of the total cropped area.

The kharif sowing season exposed extreme vulnerability, with Annamayya achieving only 36 per cent of its normal sowing area, making the region the worst-affected district across the entire state.

Chittoor district recorded 431.8 mm of rain against a normal expectation of 637.3 mm, resulting in a shortfall of 32.2 per cent during the same period. Although Cyclone Arnab brought some surprise October rain to parts of Chittoor, the overall seasonal deficit across the district remains substantial.

Cyclone Murasu, meanwhile, has completely dumped its fury squarely on coastal belts. The immediate interior parts of Chittoor and Annamayya districts remain desperately parched, leaving the prospects of the rabi season in a dilemma.

Essential crops like Bengal gram and pulses demand robust soil moisture, but the drying borewells and receding tank storage threaten to push sowing deep into crisis.

A senior scientist at YSR Horticulture University campus at Anantarajupeta in Tirupati district said that the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration flagged the persistence of a strong to very strong El Niño stretching through January-March 2027. “Such conditions cast a long, unpredictable shadow over routine agrarian planning. Farmers are urging immediate administrative intervention, calling for aggressive groundwater monitoring, robust drinking water contingency frameworks, and expedited crop insurance payouts,” he said.