Odisha seeks crop damage report due to rain

The Odisha government on Saturday asked all the district collectors to submit by November 25 reports on crop damage suffered due to untimely rain.

The government is likely to announce a fresh package for affected farmers after getting information from the district collectors.

"You are aware that farmers have been affected by drought and pest attack during the current year. Now, the present unseasonal rain has further affected the farmers in some parts of the state," said Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi in a letter to all district collectors.

He said the affected farmers are eligible to get agricultural input subsidy in prescribed rate as per the norms of state disaster response fund, who have sustained crop loss of 33% or above due to the calamity.

Due to depression over the Bay of Bengal, heavy unseasonal rain occurred in several districts during the period from November 15-17 affecting the standing crops in the state.

Meanwhile, the state government officials undertook field visits ate several places in the crop affected areas after the intensity of the low pressure induced rainfall declined across the state.

The state government has announced packages for drought and pest attacked farmers.

--IANS

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