homeeconomy NewsBadly hit by unseasonal rains, Maharashtra farmers still await their crop damage compensation
Badly hit by unseasonal rains, Maharashtra farmers still await their crop damage compensation
Pundlik Katkade, a farmer from Maharashtra's Manmad region told CNBC-TV18 that, "The government hasn't even conducted the surveys to determine the damage. The state government is only making these announcements. No farmer has received any compensation till now. How are we supposed to pay for our expenses."
Usually this time of the year, farmers are busy selling their produce, paying off their debts, and preparing for their next harvest cycle which begins with the onset of monsoon. But, for most of the farmers of Maharashtra, none of this is happening this year. The episodes of unseasonal rains and hailstorms, which started in March, have proven to be catastrophic for Maharashtra's farmers.
The unseasonal rains and hailstorm which started in the first week of March, continues to damage crops. First, the rains hit the standing rabi crop and now it's affecting the crops stored in the open.
The Maharashtra government assured that each and every farmer will be compensated. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the affected districts on multiple occasions. He met the victim farmers and assured them that the government will take care of their losses. Last month the state released a fund of Rs 177 crore to compensate the farmers for the losses they had to bear for the damaged crop.
ALSO READ | Unseasonal rains may have caused revenue Rs 13,000 crore loss — farmers share their woes
But Maharashtra farmers still haven't received their compensation.
Namdev Katkade's farm is spread over seven acres in Nandgavn in the Nashik region. Namdev has a farm loan of Rs 5 lakh. He was hoping to clear his debt and pay his daughter's admission fee by selling his produce. But all his plans were washed away with the unseasonal rains which started in the first week of March.
Namdev Katkade told CNBC-TV18, "I had sown maize, onion, wheat and pearl millet this year. But everything got damaged because of unseasonal rains. I request the govt to have mercy on us and help us."
As per the state government's early estimates, crops spread over 70,000 hectares in Maharashtra got damaged due to unseasonal rains until April. Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Buldhana, Washim and regions of the Konkan belt are the worst affected areas. The unseasonal rains damaged onion, wheat, maize, grapes, mangoes, papaya, tomatoes, cashew nuts, chickpeas and jawar crops in Maharashtra.
Pundlik Katkade, a farmer from Maharashtra's Manmad region told CNBC-TV18 that, "The government hasn't even conducted the surveys to determine the damage. The state government is only making these announcements. No farmer has received any compensation till now. How are we supposed to pay for our expenses."
The government is claiming that because the rains have not stopped, damaging the crops even more with each episode, the surveys determining the actual crop damage are still ongoing. The government claimed that now everything is on track and very soon the farmers will get the compensation. But the clock is ticking for the farmers who have to start their next harvest cycle in a couple of weeks.
Many farmers depend on the income from their previous crops to pay for their next harvest cycle. They are afraid that this delay in compensation is going to cost them dearly. Also, as last year's soybean damage compensation is still not provided, the farmers of the state doubt that this time the government will walk the talk.
It's not just Maharashtra, most of the farmers across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are sailing in the same boat. Monsoon onset is weeks away and the farmers are still waiting for the compensation promised to them by their respective state governments.
First Published: May 25, 2023 9:25 AM IST
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