LUCKNOW Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have so far damaged crop area of over 35,480 hectares, affecting around 1.75 lakh farmers in 11 districts across Uttar Pradesh since March 15.
While the affected area incorporates all the crops, including mustard, wheat is said to be the main crop affected because it is the primary Rabi crop grown on an area of around 1 lakh hectare in UP.
According to relief commissioner Prabhu Narayan Singh, only farmers whose loss in terms of affected crop area is 33% or above, are qualified for compensation under the central government’s guidelines and other farmers are compensated by the crop insurance companies, only if they are covered under the crop insurance scheme.
“Taking the 33% and above loss criteria into account, we have identified a total 35480.52 hectares of crop area having been damaged due to rains and hailstorms so far since March 15,” he said.
“This area includes all crops. We do not identify crop-wise affected area,” he added.
Singh also said that compensation of ₹5859.29 lakh had already been given to 107523 affected farmers.
The work to identify losses of less than 33% is in progress in the state and the final figures are expected only after the harvest.
“The assessment of damaged crop area below 33% could be made only after the crops are harvested and this will take some time. After that, only farmers covered under crop insurance will be compensated as per the rules,” additional chief secretary, agriculture, Devesh Chaturvedi said.
{{/usCountry}}“The assessment of damaged crop area below 33% could be made only after the crops are harvested and this will take some time. After that, only farmers covered under crop insurance will be compensated as per the rules,” additional chief secretary, agriculture, Devesh Chaturvedi said.
{{/usCountry}}Unseasonal rains, he pointed out, had some good impact too on wheat because early arrival of summer was expected to affect the quality of wheat poor in terms of shine, thickness etc.
But unseasonal rains put some brakes to the early summer. “But rains and hailstorms too might have affected wheat quality in some districts,” he said.
Chaturvedi said the government would soon send a proposal to the Centre, seeking permission for procurement of low-quality wheat too from affected farmers at the same MSP.
“We are collecting reports from districts where quality of wheat has suffered. Once we receive reports, we will send a proposal to the Centre, seeking relaxation in conditions related to wheat purchase so that even low-quality wheat also could be procured from farmers at the MSP in the districts concerned,” Chaturvedi said.