The State suffered crop loss to the tune of ₹493.4 crore during the recent spate of rainfall, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad has said.
According to the preliminary data gathered through the Agricultural Information Management System (AIMS) portal, 1,26,957 farmers reported crop loss across 59,110.81 hectares of land from October 12 to November 4.
The rain fury during October 16 to 18 had led to a loss of ₹216.3 crore with 66,322 farmers reporting crop loss in 21,941.55 hectares. The inclement weather had then triggered flash floods, mudslides, and landslips in many districts.
Alappuzha witnessed extensive damage across 19,348.86 hectares with 28,351 farmers suffering loss of crops worth ₹75.24 crore, while Thrissur suffered losses worth ₹95.07 crore with 18,930 farmers reporting damage across 17,841.88 hectares.
Mr. Prasad said the affected farmers will be provided compensation from the State Disaster Response Fund along with additional assistance by the State government. Farmers who have enrolled in crop insurance schemes will benefit through the State Crop Insurance Scheme, the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and the Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme.
Within 30 days
He said the deadline for seeking compensation for crop damage that occurred between October 12 and 30 through the AIMS portal has been extended to November 15. Orders have been issued to inspect the affected areas and dispose of applications within 30 days.
Responding to a question by Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan (Congress), Mr. Prasad said the government had completed the disbursal of compensation for losses suffered during the 2018 floods. Mr. Radhakrishnan, however, claimed many farmers, especially those in the Kuttanad and Upper Kuttanad regions, were yet to receive their dues.
Reacting to instances of paddy seeds of inferior quality being supplied to farmers as compensation for crop loss, Mr. Prasad said such seeds were being taken back. Good quality seeds procured from within the State through the Kerala State Seed Development Authority were being distributed.
Fertilizer shortage
The Minister said shortage of chemical fertilizers was being addressed. The Centre has dispatched sufficient quantity of fertilizers, including diammonium phosphate, potash and urea. The consignments have reached the seaports in Kakinada, Krishnapatnam, Mangaluru, and Chennai. Efforts are on to arrange their delivery through trains. He was responding to a question raised by P.S. Supal (Communist Party of India).
