107 blocks in 12 Odisha districts drought-affected: Revenue Minister

Farmers affected by drought in Khariff will be provided fresh finance for Rabi cultivation during the current Rabi season which has commenced from 1st of October this year. The minister said that delay in transplantation of paddy has been reported from various places in the state.

With 107 blocks in 12 districts sustaining more than 33 per cent crop loss due to drought conditions in the state, Odisha government today announced a package to bail out farmers, many of whom have committed suicide allegedly due to debt burden. “We demand that the state government declare drought and start distribution of relief to the distressed farmers”, said state Congress president Prasad Harichandan.

“Short-term kharif loan will be converted to medium term in drought-affected areas where crop loss is 50 per cent and more”.

As per the package, small and marginal farmers who have sustained crop loss of 33 percent and above would get agriculture input subsidy of Rs 6,800 per hectare of land in non-irrigated areas and Rs 13,500 per hectare of land in areas under assured irrigation.

He said that agriculture input subsidy will also be provided to farmers other than small and marginal farmers at the same rates subject to a ceiling of two hectare per farmer. The financial assistance for perennial crops will be Rs 18,000 per hectare. “Eye estimation reports so far received by the agriculture department show crop loss to the extent of 33 per cent and more in 2,57,930 hectare of crop land in 12 districts”, revenue minister Bijayshree Routray told reporters here.

The Odisha government on Wednesday evening declared 12 out of 30 revenue districts in the state as drought-hit.

Forty thousand pump sets shall be provided through Odisha Agro-Industries Corporation with 50 percent subsidy limited to Rs.15,000 to the farmers with priority to the rainfed areas. The districts which have been affected are Balasore, Boudh, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Khurda, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Puri and Sonepur. Routray said there was a shortfall of 9.3 percent and 25.2 percent in the rainfall in the months of July and August respectively, affecting the crops in the state.