Badal seeks Centre's help to revise crop damage compensation

The Punjab CM demanded Rs 10,000 an acre and said in order to effectively compensate the affected farmers, the relief norms need to be adequate

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an upward revision of the compensation for crops damaged by inclement weather.

He demanded Rs 10,000 an acre and said in order to effectively compensate the affected farmers, the relief norms need to be adequate. The current rate of Rs 3,600 a acre for 100 per cent loss was inadequate, he said. "The compensation must ensure a minimum cost of living and also make up for the loss of livelihood of farmers," he said. Untimely rain coupled with high-velocity winds and hail over the past few days has damaged wheat as well as vegetable and horticultural crops, across Punjab.

The quantum of damage is yet to be determined but initial reports of the state government suggested that a cultivated area of over 7-lakh acres has been affected. The damage to vegetables and horticulture crops, such as kinnow that were flowering now, has been more severe than wheat.

"In many parts of the state standing wheat crop has been flattened due to the high velocity of wind," said a senior official of the agriculture department, adding it will affect the yield. "Excess water has entered the fields."

The total area under wheat cultivation in Punjab is 35-lakh hectares. Horticulture produce kinnow has also been affected by the high-velocity winds. A horticulture expert said: "The high-velocity winds have affected the kinnow crop, which was flowering. Detachment of the flowers will lead to a loss in the yield."

Kinnow farmers of Punjab are already reeling from a nearly 50 per cent drop in the prices of the crop, compared to the previous season. A bumper orange crop in Vidharba and severe cold in north India has led to a fall in the demand.

In 2013-14, the total area under kinnow cultivation was 43,851 hectares and the total production was 9.88 lakh metric tonnes. According to the statistical abstract of the state, every year around 1,000-1,600 hectares are added under kinnow. This year, however, the addition may be less due to the losses suffered by the farmers.