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| Rain & floods may reduce food production in India | | |
India is in for a major decline in food pro
duction after the recent heavy rains in the
plains and the flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir have caused extensive damage to the rabi crops,especially wheat.Not only this in various areas of the country vegetable crops too have suffered damage with the result prices of number of vegetables have increased when compared to the price level last year.Last last during the summer months the per kg rate of green peas ranged between Rs.16 and Rs.25 but till date,during the current season,the price level of peas ranges between Rs.70 and Rs.100 per kg.The recent rain has damaged crops in sprawling fields in UP,Haryana and Rajasthan the most.According to the Government figures Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana were the worst hit states in the recent unseasonal rain and hailstorm and have sought over Rs 10,100 crore as relief from the Centre for the affected farmers, the Lok Sabha was informed.Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said the rain and hailstorm had affected 94 lakh hectares of crop area across 14 states over the past three months.Giving state-wise details in reply to a question, he said 29.64 lakh hectares of crop area was affected in Uttar Pradesh. In Haryana, 22.24 lakh hectares of crop area was affected while in Rajasthan the figure stood at 16.89 lakh hectares.
Other affected states are Maharashtra (9.89 lakh hectares), Madhya Pradesh (5.70), Punjab (2.94), Bihar (1.86), Gujarat (1.75), J&K (1.33), HP (0.67), West Bengal (0.49), Uttarakhand (0.39), Telangana and Kerala (0.01 each).If the official figure indicates that crops on 1.33 lakh hectares have been damaged owing to hailstorm and rain it should not be treated as a minor loss because in Jammu and Kashmir the area under agricultural practices is much lower than what is in Punjab,Haryana,UP and Rajasthan. Added to this loss is the loss that the state of Jammu and Kashmir suffered on account of September last floods which had not only damaged crops but had caused extensive damage to the basic infrastructure,which includes Government and private buildings,shopping complexes and school and hospital premises.Rough loss assessment has touched Rs.44,000 crores and the losses owing to unseasonal rain and floods in the entire state in March-April could be to the tune of over Rs.15,000 crores.This way the Modi headed Government may have a tough time while compensating the states for the losses they suffered because of floods,rain and hailstorm.Not only this: India may be forced to import foodgrains,including wheat,rice,pulses and some vegetables.That would be another financial strain for the Government.
Already several thousand farmers have suffered heavy losses.This is indicated by the way scores of farmers,who had come to Delhi the other day to attend a Congress sponsored rally against the Land Acquisition Bill, were seen in tears lamenting over heavy losses to their rabi crops besides vegetable fields.The country may witness upswing in the level of suicides by farmers in case there was delay in providing relief and compensation to them.Here also the BJP led NDA Government has to be careful so that on the basis of the preliminary loss assessment reports the cengtre released compensation to the farmers. There are other farmers who have been lucky in the sense their crops have not suffered massive damage and it is the duty of the Government to raise the procurement price level so that those farmers were benefitted.Well while deling with these issues the BJP led NDA Government has to,first of all,release funds in favour of those in Jammu and Kashmir who had suffered severe losses to their property,crops and orchards owing the twin flash floods,unseasonal rain,hailstorm and landslides.Already affected people keep on berating both the state and the central Governments for delay in sanctioning compensation.Though much of the delay had been done by the previous NC-Congress Government in the state and the Congress led UPA Government in the centre but the affected people do not spare the present state and the central Governments. |
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