Cyclone Arnab: Andhra crop damage climbs to 3.5 lakh hectares

Andhra Pradesh has put its preliminary losses from Cyclone Arnab at about Rs 4,600 crore, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said, as fuller field reports showed crop damage on roughly 3.5 lakh hectares, about five times the 70,900 hectares reported in the first count. State Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu's preliminary assessment, reported on October 29, 2026, puts the damaged area at 3,51,662 hectares, with horticulture crops on about 22,457 hectares and aquaculture losses of Rs 176.82 crore. A detailed relief package for farmers was still awaiting a state Cabinet decision on October 29.

When a cyclone first crosses the coast, the early damage count covers only what officials can reach. As water drains and teams visit villages, the numbers usually rise. That is what has happened with Arnab, which made landfall near Kakinada and Yanam on October 28. The first count, about 70,900 hectares of mostly paddy, has grown to around 3.5 lakh hectares in the minister's assessment as reports from districts came in.

The timing makes the loss heavier. The kharif paddy crop in coastal Andhra Pradesh was close to harvest. Grain that was ready to be cut has been flattened or soaked, which lowers both the quantity and the quality farmers can sell. Horticulture growers face a different problem: banana, coconut and vegetable crops take months or years to re-establish, so a single storm can wipe out more than one season's income. Fish and prawn farmers, an important part of the coastal economy, have also reported losses.

The overall Rs 4,600 crore figure is the Chief Minister's state-wide preliminary estimate, not a count of farm losses alone. Different preliminary totals have circulated; the state's figures are expected to be firmed up as official assessments are completed and sent to the Centre, which decides on additional help from national disaster funds.

For farmers, three channels matter now: state input subsidy or compensation, which the Cabinet is yet to finalise; crop insurance claims, which depend on registered crops and the yield assessment; and any extra central assistance after inter-ministerial teams visit. Reports of the proposals under discussion show rates varying widely by crop, so final figures should be taken only from the government order.

Short-term: Farmers must document damage for compensation and insurance claims while trying to salvage what grain they can. Paddy procurement and rice supplies in the affected districts may be disrupted.

Long-term: Repeated late-season cyclones raise the cost of farming on the coast and strengthen the case for better drainage, faster insurance settlement and crop varieties that can withstand lodging and flooding.

Who is affected: About 5.7 lakh farmers by one estimate, mostly paddy growers in coastal districts; horticulture and aquaculture producers; farm workers who depend on harvest wages; and rice millers and buyers in the region.

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