Unseasonal showers ring death knell for Rabi crop cycle
16 April 2015 5:21 AM IST
Untimely rain and hailstorm have caused extensive damage to Rabi crops in wheat-producing states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Wheat samples collected from various districts in rain-hit states have shown damage content, shrivelled grains and lustre loss of up to 60 per cent. Following the damage, the Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh has declared a calamity and written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking Rs 1,000 crore to immediately provide relief to farmers.
“The unseasonal rain damaged Rabi crops such as wheat, mustard, barley, gram, etc, in wholesome. Damaged crops are lying on fields only as it will cost them more in husking wheat grains than the actual value of the produce. This will create a shortage of wheat in the buffer stock and dearth of fodder in days to come,” said Rakesh Tikait of the Bharatiya Kisan Union.
“In case of UP, there are two patterns of wheat sowing - one is wheat grown on fields after harvesting paddy crops, while the other is sowing of wheat after harvesting sugarcane. The untimely rain in March affected wheat on paddy fields, while the rain and hailstorm in April damaged the other standing crops too,” said Vinay Kumar, a farmer from UP’s Meerut district.
“We are worried about the survival of our animals as fodder stock is getting exhausted. The damage of oilseeds and pulses will create shortage of oilcakes and chaff, used as food supplement for the cattle. The fodder that we are purchasing from other states is dark in colour, which our cattle do not eat,” Tikait added.
On relief offered to farmers, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh told Millennium Post that the Centre has already revised the crop damage compensation parameter.
“Now, farmers will be eligible for input subsidy if 33 per cent of their crop is damaged against 50 per cent and above, which was the norm till now. Further, the input subsidy given to distressed farmers has been enhanced by 50 per cent of the existing amount,” the minister said, quoting PM Narendra Modi. He said all sates have been directed to disburse the relief amount to farmers on priority basis.
However, the ground reality doesn’t match the words of the Union Agriculture Minister and state governments.
Ganesh Nanote, a farmer in Maharashtra’s Akola district, said they have not received any help from the government as of now. Farmers are still running from pillar-to-post get their fields surveyed by the officials concerned. The major regions affected in Maharashtra are Marathwada, Khandesh and Vidharbha. The crops damaged include wheat, gram and onion, among others.
Wheat samples collected from various districts in rain-hit states have shown damage content, shrivelled grains and lustre loss of up to 60 per cent. Following the damage, the Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh has declared a calamity and written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking Rs 1,000 crore to immediately provide relief to farmers.
“The unseasonal rain damaged Rabi crops such as wheat, mustard, barley, gram, etc, in wholesome. Damaged crops are lying on fields only as it will cost them more in husking wheat grains than the actual value of the produce. This will create a shortage of wheat in the buffer stock and dearth of fodder in days to come,” said Rakesh Tikait of the Bharatiya Kisan Union.
“In case of UP, there are two patterns of wheat sowing - one is wheat grown on fields after harvesting paddy crops, while the other is sowing of wheat after harvesting sugarcane. The untimely rain in March affected wheat on paddy fields, while the rain and hailstorm in April damaged the other standing crops too,” said Vinay Kumar, a farmer from UP’s Meerut district.
“We are worried about the survival of our animals as fodder stock is getting exhausted. The damage of oilseeds and pulses will create shortage of oilcakes and chaff, used as food supplement for the cattle. The fodder that we are purchasing from other states is dark in colour, which our cattle do not eat,” Tikait added.
On relief offered to farmers, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh told Millennium Post that the Centre has already revised the crop damage compensation parameter.
“Now, farmers will be eligible for input subsidy if 33 per cent of their crop is damaged against 50 per cent and above, which was the norm till now. Further, the input subsidy given to distressed farmers has been enhanced by 50 per cent of the existing amount,” the minister said, quoting PM Narendra Modi. He said all sates have been directed to disburse the relief amount to farmers on priority basis.
However, the ground reality doesn’t match the words of the Union Agriculture Minister and state governments.
Ganesh Nanote, a farmer in Maharashtra’s Akola district, said they have not received any help from the government as of now. Farmers are still running from pillar-to-post get their fields surveyed by the officials concerned. The major regions affected in Maharashtra are Marathwada, Khandesh and Vidharbha. The crops damaged include wheat, gram and onion, among others.
Next Story
