Thunderstorms damage banana, spices crops in Kerala; hit mango fruits in UP

Banana and spices crops are reported to have been damaged in Kerala, while up to 20 per cent mango fruits have fallen off in Uttar Pradesh due to thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds last week, Agriculture Secretary S K Pattanayak said today.

The Union Agriculture Ministry is closely monitoring the developments and is in touch with state governments which are in the process of assessing the extent of damage, he added.

"We are yet to receive a full report from the state governments. We are reviewing the situation on a daily basis," Pattanayak told PTI.

Barring Kerala, there have been no reports of significant crop damage from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana, he said.

In Uttar Pradesh, there are reports that 10-20 per cent mangoes have fallen off because of gusty winds. Whereas in Kerala, banana and spices crops have been affected badly, he added.