Agri minister asks officials to draw up strategy on drought, cyclones

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asks officials to prepare a strategy to tackle drought, cyclones and erratic rainfall, and ensure timely relief for affected farmers.

Chouhan asks officials to draw up strategy on drought, cyclones, erratic rain New Delhi, Nov 2 (PTI) Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday directed ministry officials to formulate a concrete strategy to deal with drought, cyclones and erratic rainfall in different parts of the country, stressing that the farmers' crisis must be handled with "utmost sensitivity" and without procedural delays in relief operations.

 

Chouhan, who reviewed the status of kharif harvesting and rabi sowing at the meeting, was joined by senior officials, including Union Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra.

 

"Formulate a concrete strategy in the best interest of farmers," Chouhan directed the officials, emphasising that the government must approach the farmers' crisis with the utmost sensitivity, ensuring that there are no procedural delays in relief operations.

  

According to an official statement, kharif harvesting is under way across the country, with major crops such as moong (green gram) and soybean nearing completion.

 

RABI SOWING

 

The minister asked officials to speed up rabi sowing immediately after harvest by making optimal use of residual soil moisture. In areas with limited irrigation water, farmers should be encouraged to grow crops that need less water and have lower input costs, such as chana (chickpea), mustard, masoor (lentil) and millets, he said.

 

Chouhan also said climate-resilient and heat-tolerant seeds developed by agricultural scientists should be made available to farmers, given the fluctuations in temperature.

 

INPUTS AND PRICES

 

On fertilisers, the review found adequate stocks of urea, DAP, MOP and NPK, along with certified seeds, for the rabi season. Supply chains are being managed in coordination with states up to the district level, the statement said.

 

An analysis of mandi trends showed that prices of major crops, including paddy, wheat, maize, gram, lentil, arhar (pigeon pea), soybean and mustard, are ruling significantly above the Minimum Support Price (MSP), enabling farmers to get more remunerative returns.

 

RELIEF FOR DISASTER-HIT FARMERS

 Referring to farmers hit by excess rain and flooding, and those in drought-affected Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Chouhan said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Centre "stands firmly" with every farmer.

 

He directed officials to prioritise rapid assessment of damage under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and to expedite settlement of claims under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) so that farmers get timely financial support.

 

Under a contingency action plan, he also instructed officials to use the soil moisture expected from upcoming cyclonic rains for rabi sowing.

 

The minister said he would personally review the situation every week and, where necessary, engage directly with state governments and chief ministers to resolve problems faced by farmers.