Karnataka - Hassan   

Crop loss: delegation to meet Sharad Pawar

HASSAN: Following heavy rain and pest infestation, grape crop worth Rs. 500 crore and potato crop worth Rs. 100 crore have been lost.

A State Government delegation would meet Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to urge him to release grants so that compensation could be given to affected farmers, said Horticulture Minister S.K. Bellubbi here on Wednesday.

The Minister, who arrived here on Wednesday evening, went around the potato fields affected by blight.

Before leaving for Bangalore, he told presspersons that grapes grown in Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Kolar and Gulbarga districts and potatoes grown in Hassan district had been completely lost.

Mr. Bellubbi said that instructions had been given to the respective deputy commissioners to pay compensation of Rs. 6,000 a hectare to grape growers and Rs. 2,000 a hectare to potato farmers under the Natural Calamity Relief Fund.

He said he had directed the Deputy Director of Horticulture, Hassan, to send a detailed report on the potato crop loss in Hassan district before August 19. The report would be discussed in the Cabinet meeting on August 21 and the amount of compensation decided, he said.

Mr. Bellubbi said the loss was heavy and as such the State alone could not pay compensation.

He suggested that farmers stop cultivating potatoes for two years to prevent blight. He said too much use of complex fertilizers had reduced soil fertility and pests had also become immune.

He advised farmers to switch over to natural farming.

Mr. Bellubbi said the Government was considering arranging lectures by natural farming expert Subhash Palekar in all districts.

Deputy Director of Horticulture Nagaraj who was present, informed the Minister that farmers had spent Rs. 25,000 a hectare to grow potato.

In Hassan district, seed potato was sown in 37,700 hectares of land. Of this, 30,080 hectares of land was affected by blight.

Mr. Bellubbi made it clear that stringent action would be taken against traders who supplied spurious seeds to farmers and also against officers who encouraged such sales. From next year, certified potato seeds would be supplied by Agriculture Department, he said.

President of the zilla panchayat C.N. Balakrishna, who met the Minister, appealed to him to release the compensation to farmers at the earliest.

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