Over 6L farmers report 33% crop loss in Odisha; CM announces ₹291.59cr aid

This follows the government’s announcement a week ago that farmers affected by unseasonal rains would be identified by December 30, irrespective of crop insurance coverage

Updated on: Jan 4, 2025, 12:24:26 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has announced a compensation package of ₹291.59 crore from the state disaster response fund (SDRF) to support farmers whose crops were damaged by unseasonal rain during the kharif harvesting period between December 20 and 28.

The CM said that the funds, sourced from the SDRF, would be disbursed starting today (Representative photo)

Chief minister Mohan Majhi said that 6.66 lakh farmers, including 2.61 lakh covered under crop insurance, have reported more than 33% crop loss across 2.26 lakh hectares of land. This follows the government’s announcement a week ago that farmers affected by unseasonal rains would be identified by December 30, irrespective of crop insurance coverage.

Majhi added that the funds, sourced from the SDRF, would be disbursed “starting today through the direct benefit transfer (DBT) system to ensure timely and transparent relief for farmers who have lost their crops, including paddy, vegetables, and betel leaves”.

“The unseasonal rains, which occurred in two phases between December 20 and 28, have caused severe damage. Many fields were flooded, with grains sprouting due to prolonged exposure to water, rendering them unsuitable for sale. Farmers who were close to harvesting their crops have seen their yields destroyed, leading to substantial financial losses. Many had taken loans to finance their crops, and the unexpected rains have left them unable to repay these debts, exacerbating their financial burden,” an official said.

Majhi conducted an extensive tour of Ganjam, Gajapati, and Nayagarh districts to assess the widespread crop damage. Other ministers too visited various rain-affected districts on December 29.

Also Read: Odisha CM, LoP to visit districts to witness plight of farmers after 4 deaths following crop loss

The announcement of the compensation package comes amid widespread protests by farmers over irregularities in paddy procurement and reports of farmer deaths. Odisha has reported the deaths of seven farmers over the past week—three by suicide and four due to cardiac arrest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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