The government on Monday declared that it would give 'total' loans for the rabi crop to farmers in the affected districts, in light of the damages or losses accrued by the farmers due to Cyclone Jal.
Speaking to media persons at the Secretariat on Monday, minister for agriculture N Raghuveera Reddy revealed that the state government has decided to sanction a subsidy of Rs. 5 per kilo on paddy to farmers, in view of heavy rains that battered the crops in the coastal districts.
Preliminary estimates say that 3,22,000 hectares of paddy crop were lost due to the cyclone, while 2,84,000 hectares of paddy crop were damaged.
Raghuveera Reddy had, earlier in the day, attended a review meeting chaired by chief minister K Rosaiah on the situation in the coastal districts. The meeting reviewed the situation due to the cyclonic storm Jal, and ministers and officials had arrived at the preliminary estimates of the losses.
The agriculture minister explained that for paddy seeds there was usually no subsidy, but that the CM has ordered for the subsidy to be extended in view of the heavy losses incurred by farmers. here was also a necessity to reschedule the loans to farmers wherever required, he stated.
The CM ordered that the tenant farmers also be given government support in respect of crop insurance, loans, subsidy on seeds among others.
The government also heaved a sigh of relief as the cyclone
weakened and the losses were minimal, despite the heavy rains in the flood-affected districts this morning.
Courtesy: INN