With the prevailing weather likely to cause an outbreak of rice blast disease, the Agriculture Department has issued advisory to farmers in the district to take prompt measures if symptoms of the disease manifest in the samba paddy crop. Given the experience over the past few years, when the blast disease adversely affected yield, the department advised farmers to opt for disease-resistant varieties and avoid cultivation of highly susceptible varieties such as improved white Ponni and BPT-5204 (Andhra Ponni). However, a large number of farmers have raised Andhra Ponni as the variety is in good demand among traders and fetches a better price than others.