Farmers under the weather; UP, Rajasthan maximum hit

NEW DELHI: Incessant rains between February last week and mid-March have damaged crops on over 18.13 mHa, agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh said.

The maximum damage has been reported in Uttar Pradesh followed by Rajasthan and Haryana. As per the preliminary reports, wheat crop on 12.1 mHa has seen the maximum damage, followed by mustard on 2.6 mHa and pulses at 1.9 mHa.

Wheat crop, in the world's second largest growing country , was planted on 2% less land at 30.64 mHa in the 2014-15 season.

Singh added state governments must access losses and release funds under the state disaster relief fund (SDRF) to help farmers who suffered losses.

“Our first concern is to provide relief to the farmers hit by the rains. State governments are currently surveying the amount of damage and we expect them to be sensitive and sincere to the issue, and support farmers at the earliest,“ said Singh, who travelled to Nashik district in Maharashtra to check the affected regions. As per officials, the damage to crops is more than 10%.

Singh said the government has released Rs 5,270 crore to state governments in 2014-15, which forms 75% of the SDRF.

As per the norms of SDRF, input subsidy can be given to farmers at the rate of Rs 4,500 per hectare for rain-fed areas, Rs 9,000 per hectare for irrigated area and Rs 12,000 per hectare for perennial crops.

The input subsidy is available for those crops that saw over 50% damage due to the rains.

Beginning April, the states would be able to provide immediate relief to the victims of state-specific disaster within the local context, which are not included in the centre's notified list of disasters from the SDRF.

“We are also looking to evaluate the relief compensation currently given to farmers per hectare of land,“ he said. The agriculture ministry , in its initial report in the first week of March, said ar ea under 5 mHa has been damaged. The total area covered by all Rabi ­ or winter sown ­ crops were 61.8 mHa as on February 20.

The crop loss has been re ported in wheat, pulses like gram and lentil, mustard, gram and lentil, mustard, vegetables like potatoes, fruits like grapes and mango. The country as a whole witnessed 49.2 mm rainfall, which is twice over the average rainfall of 16.6 mm from February 28 to March 16.

Farms across Uttar Pradesh (9.73 mHa), Rajasthan (4.55 mHa),Maharashtra (0.4 mHa), Punjab (0.35 mHa), Haryana (1.92 mHa), Madhya Pradesh (0.57 mHa), Himachal Pradesh (0.15 mHa), Jammu and Kashmir (0.4 mHa) saw the maximum crop damage area.

At isolated places in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal and Uttarakhand, there were damage to crops of cumin, isabgol, coriander, maize, jowar, sesame, paddy , onion, cashew nuts and pomegranate due to the rains, the minister said.