E-Paper
Odisha announces assistance package for farmers, artisans affected by cyclone Yaas
The financial assistance will be provided to farmers as compensation in agriculture and animal resources development sectors affected by the Cyclone Yaas.
Two days after the inter-ministerial central team visited Odisha for the assessment of losses to the state due to cyclone Yaas, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday announced a special package for farmers affected by the disaster, as per a state government release.
“Our government is committed to the cause of farmers’ empowerment. So chief minister quickly announced the package for farmers, fishermen, weavers and artisans affected by Cyclone Yaas,” said state agriculture minister Arun Sahoo.
The financial assistance will be provided to farmers as compensation in agriculture and animal resources development sectors affected by the Cyclone Yaas that hit Odisha on May 26.
On May 26 noon, cyclone Yaas hit the Odisha coast between Balasore and Bhadrak districts with a sustained wind speed of 130–140 kmph, reaching 155kmph. The storm caused very heavy rainfall in Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapara districts affecting over 6 million people across 11,000 villages. Odisha government pegged the initial losses at ₹610 crore.
As per the financial package announced, ₹6,800 input subsidy per hectare will be provided to small and nominal farmers with 33% or above damage in non-irrigated land. In irrigated areas, input subsidies of ₹13,500 per hectare and ₹18,000 per hectare for all types of daily crops will be provided. Mango, cashew, coconut, betel, kewda and other crops are included in the daily crop category. Farmers will get a minimum subsidy of ₹2,000 for daily crops and a minimum subsidy of ₹1,000 for other crops.
Farmers in the affected districts will be provided with 1.5 lakh quintal of high quality certified paddy seeds along with a 25 per cent discount on the current rebate for the 2021 kharif season. The rebate will be paid directly to the farmer’s account through a direct benefit transfer. One lakh farmers will be included in the seed refining programme for 1 lakh acres of land for higher yields during the kharif season.
During the kharif season, 25,000 acres of land in the affected areas will be covered for paddy, jute and pulses.
Farmers adopting improved farming methods, such as row sowing and row harvesting will be given an incentive of ₹1,500 per hectare for 36,000 acres of land.
Input subsidies will be credited to farmers’ accounts for crop loss due to insects on 60,000 hectares of land.
Farmers in the affected districts will be given a ₹20 crore discount to buy high-quality agricultural machinery.
Farmers in the cyclone-affected areas will be provided with 2,000 pump sets and 3,000 sprayers at a discount price. A maximum amount of ₹15,000 will be given for a 50 per cent discount for pump sets, a maximum of ₹3,800 for a 50 per cent discount for power sprayer and a maximum rebate of ₹750 will be given for a hand sprayer.
As the seawater entered into agricultural lands in Bhadrak and Balasore districts due to the cyclone, the farmers in these two districts have been severely affected. Therefore, financial assistance of ₹750 per hectare will be provided for Nutrient Management & Soil Ameliorants. Assistance will be provided for a total of 10,000 hectares of land.
An incentive of ₹15,000 per person will be provided to 125 farmers of betel leaf cultivation. A total of 10,000 affected farmers will be provided with high-quality saplings at a cost of ₹115 for growing vegetables at their gardens. ₹40,000 will be provided to 50 mushroom cultivation units affected by the cyclonic storm. With the assistance, the affected farmers can recover their cultivation units. This assistance will be provided directly to the farmer’s bank account. Farmers in the affected areas will be provided 10,000 vegetable mini kits worth ₹110 each free of cost. Short-term kharif loans to farmers with crop loss of more than 33% in the affected areas will be converted into medium-term loans.
Assistance will be provided to farmers who have lost cattle, goats, sheep and poultry in the cyclone. While a sum of ₹30,000 has been announced for dairy cattle, ₹25,000 will be provided for non-dairy animal. Similarly, for a maximum of 6 calves, ₹16,000 per calf, ₹3,000 up to 30 goats/sheep and ₹50 per chicken, will be given to affected farmers.
₹2,100 will be provided for the reconstruction of cattle shelters. An assistance of ₹4,100 each will be paid to cyclone-affected fishermen for repairs to their partially damaged boats, ₹2,100 for partially damaged fishing nets, ₹9,600 for entire wrecked boats and ₹2,600 for completely damaged fishing nets.
An input subsidy of ₹12,200 per hectare for the renovation of damaged fish/fish seed farms and ₹8,200 per hectare will be provided for damaged fish seed farms. Handicraft and handloom artisans affected by the cyclone will be provided ₹4,100 each for their equipment and ₹4,100 for destroyed raw materials and manufactured products.
For sericulture farmers, an input subsidy of ₹4,800 per hectare will be given to farmers of Eri, Mulberry and Tussar. An assistance of ₹6,000 per hectare will be given for Muga silk farmers.
