AgriMin assurance on low-rain impact

Will give more diesel subsidy, reschedule crop loans, provide other help, says minister; meetings on with states

With monsoon rain expected to be below normal in much of the country, the Union agriculture ministry plans additional subsidy on diesel to farmers, reschedule crop loans and offer an interest subvention on these advances in drought or low-rain areas.

“We are in the process of framing a Cabinet note on the measures to provide relief to farmers and can assure the nation that relief will be provided before a calamity sets in,” agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh told reporters.

On Monday, the India Meteorological Department lowered its forecast for the monsoon to 93 per cent of the Long Period Average from the 95 per cent estimated earlier. It said most parts of the country, except the northeast, could receive less than normal rain.

MONSOON DOLES

• Diesel subsidy will provide protective irrigation to standing crops in rain-deficit areas
• There’s also a plan to enhance the subsidy on seeds to partially compensate farmers for the expenditure on re-sowing or to purchase drought-tolerant ones
• Also being considered is a scheme for rejuvenation of perennial horticulture crops
• Extra funds for development of fodder in rain-deficit states is on cards

The diesel subsidy will provide protective irrigation to standing crops in rain-deficit areas, Singh told reporters. During the drought years in 2009 and 2012, the previous government had announced a 50 per cent diesel subsidy for farmers in such areas. Sources said a scheme similar to this could be worked out this year.

It appears there’s also a plan to enhance the subsidy on seeds to partially compensate farmers for the expenditure on re-sowing or to purchase drought-tolerant ones.

Also being considered is a scheme for rejuvenation of perennial horticulture crops under the National Horticulture Mission, extra funds for development of fodder in rain-deficit states and extra funds under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture.

“All the state governments have been advised to consult the National Crisis Management Plan while managing any probable drought or rain deficit situation,” Singh said.

The minister said the government would try to provide so much relief to farmers that they were not forced to increase the price of their produce.

He said officials had met counterparts in Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh till date; they'd call on other state governments, too.

The department has prepared contingency plans for almost 500 districts in the country, in consultation with state governments, the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture and others.

“We have also issued advisories to state governments to initiate location-specific intervention, to ensure availability of seeds, set aside 10 per cent of funds available under RKVY for appropriate intervention and also start drought mitigation work under MGNREGA (the rural job guarantee law),” Singh said.

He said storage in major reservoirs across the country, except south India, was satisfactory. And, grain stocks in the central pool were much above the requirement.