Farm sector losses in the current southwest monsoon season have crossed ₹1,100 crore, even as another Farmers’ Day rings in on Saturday, against the backdrop of the recent rain havoc in the central and northern districts of the State.
The Agriculture Department has pegged losses due to crop damage at ₹1,166.42 crore between June 1 and August 14, of which the major share of the damage occurred during last week’s rain fury.
Highest in Palakkad
Crop damage has been reported in 31,015 hectares across all 14 districts, affecting 1,21,675 farmers. Palakkad alone reported crop damage in 10,886 hectares, the highest in the State, followed by Wayanad (3661 hectares), Alappuzha (3644 hectares), and Kottayam (2862 hectares).
Malappuram and Wayanad, the two districts which bore the brunt of the monsoon fury last week, have reported heavy agricultural losses. As many as 18,669 farmers in Wayanad and 16,973 farmers in Malappuram reported crop damage. Ernakulam (13,360 farmers), Palakkad (11,583 farmers) and Thrissur (10,678) also top the list.
Paddy, the worst-hit
The crops that took the worst hits include mainfield paddy (19,057 hectares), banana (5204 hectares), vegetables (1863 hectares), tapioca (1159 hectares), rubber (295 hectares) pepper (245 hectares) and coconut (348 hectares).
Other crops affected by the flooding and landslips include 831 hectares of arecanut, 178 hectares of ginger, 561 hectares of cardamom, 164 hectares of nutmeg and 394 hectares of tuber crops.
Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar on Friday said the State government and his department would offer financial and psycho-social support to the farmers in distress.
Farmers’ Day message
The State government would require ₹196 crore for compensating farmers who have reported losses, he said in a Farmers’ Day message.
In view of the increasing frequency of natural calamities, it is essential that the State overhauls its farming system through a region-specific, resource-based planning process. “The floods, drought and rain havoc remind us that Kerala should now focus on ecofriendly farming systems,” he said.
He reiterated the department’s commitment to restructure the farm sector on the basis of five agro-ecological zones - coastal, midland laterite, hilly regions, high ranges and Palakkadan plains. These five zones would in turn be divided into 23 agro-ecological management units.
