Surplus rains hit kharif crops

THE EXTENT OF crop damage is believed to be the largest in Maharashtra, with half of its croparea having been impacted due to flooding.

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Dattatreya(Mama) Bharane, agriculture minister of Maharashtra, said heavy rains have caused huge losses to kharif cropsin the state where 6.8 million hectare (mha), out of the state’s total sown area of 14.4 mha has been adversely impacted. “The crop investigative report for September has reached the final stage; the relief fund will be announced by next week,” Bharane told FE.

He said a sum of %2,215 crore is being given to the farmers on the basis of assessment based in August while major crops impacted in the states include soyabean,maize,cotton, urad, tur, moong, vegetables, fruit crops, millet, sugarcane and onion.

Jaswant Singh, director of agriculture and farmers welfare, Punjab, said that currently the focus of the state government is toprovide relief to farmers while according to initial projections, 0.5 mha out of 3.2 mha crop area has been impacted by the floods.