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| Scanty rains: losses put at Rs 506 Cr | | Upto 80% damage in Jammu region, pulses fully destroyed | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 22: Even as a formal assessment survey is yet compile its report, the agriculture and horticulture sectors in Jammu and Kashmir are reported to have suffered a loss of 506 Crores due to delayed monsoons, scanty rains and other unfair weather conditions.
Maximum loss is reported in Jammu region where crops and other fruit produce has suffered upto 80 per cent of the total expected production. While pulses have been fully destroyed due to dry spell, maize crop has suffered a loss of upto 50 per cent.
After a preliminary state-wide assessment, Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir has put loss to agriculture sector at Rs 406 Crores and to horticulture sector at Rs 100 Crores.
Mir said a considerable loss has extended to major Kharief crops like Maize, pulses, vegetables, fodder, paddy, oil seeds etc. He said maize crop has suffered about 50% damage, pulses 100% and paddy 20% due this water stress. He said horticulture industry in the state too has suffered badly due to minimal rainfall and fruits like apple, cherry, pear and walnut have suffered maximum damage. He said the quantum of loss in Jammu province has been from 55% to 80% whileas in Kashmir about 20 to 30 % horticulture crop has been damaged.
Mir, who recently attended a meeting of State Agriculture Ministers convened by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, said, though Kashmir Valley is not dependent on monsoon but western disturbances determine the normal cropping efficiency here. But this time, he said, there was a departure from this normal meteorological phenomenon which has resulted into a drought like situation. He said water discharge in perennial sources of irrigation like rivers has canals has also declined due decrease in precipitation. As a result, he said, sowing of different crops and transplantation of paddy got delayed which would affect the crop yield.
The Minister said that that consequent upon this loss the reduction in food grain production is estimated to be 4.5 lac tonnes which can further go up. He said already the state receives 63067 MTs of food grains per month against the actual requirement of 1.31 lac MTs. He also sought additional support of fertilisers and seeds for starting an early Rabi season in the state.
A contingent cropping pattern as has been advised by the SKUAST has been adapted in minimise the losses suffered and crops like Toria, Barseem, cabbage etc. are being cultivated due to shortage of water.
He said a detailed assessment by concerned departments of Revenue, Relief and Agriculture departments has been mobilised for help under Contingency Relief Fund. He said most of the farmers in the state can be categorised into small or marginal farmers with limited land holding and thus the extent of damage on them is more. For this, he said, rural credit institutions have been re activated to extend loan facilities to farmers.
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