The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has urged the Andhra Pradesh government to extend the deadline for payment of premiums under the Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) from July 15 to at least July 31, 2026, citing a severe rainfall deficit and worsening drought conditions across the State.In a statement on Tuesday, YSRCP general secretary and former Vice Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Agriculture Mission M.V.S. Nagi Reddy said the State had been experiencing a prolonged dry spell since the onset of the kharif season on June 1. As of July 14, Andhra Pradesh had recorded a rainfall deficit of 45.1%, with four districts registering deficits of more than 60% and the remaining districts reporting shortfalls ranging from 20% to 59%. The deficit, he said, had disrupted agricultural operations, particularly in rainfed areas.Mr. Nagi Reddy alleged that the discontinuation of the free crop insurance scheme introduced by the previous YSRCP government had imposed an additional financial burden on farmers. Seeking insurance premiums amid drought conditions, he said, had further compounded their difficulties.He said cotton and groundnut, two major rainfed kharif crops, had been severely affected. Cotton cultivation in Kurnool, Palnadu, Guntur, NTR, YSR Kadapa, Anantapur, Markapuram and Nandyal districts had reached only 47% of the normal sowing area, while groundnut cultivation in Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai, Kurnool, Annamayya, Chittoor and Nandyal districts had covered only 12% of the normal area as of July 8.Since both crops are covered under the WBCIS, many farmers have been unable to enrol as sowing remains incomplete. With weather forecasts indicating continued below-normal rainfall, Mr. Nagi Reddy urged the government to extend the premium payment deadline to July 31 to enable farmers to complete sowing and obtain insurance coverage, ensuring that no eligible farmer is denied protection because of the delayed monsoon. Published - July 14, 2026 07:23 pm IST