Gandhinagar/Rajkot: The Gujarat government has ordered a survey to assess the damage to crops to provide compensation to farmers affected by the recent spell of unseasonal rains, state Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel said on Tuesday. He said affected farmers will be granted compensation as per the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms once the report arrives. He said a preliminary estimate suggests that the rains may have damaged standing crops in an area of around 3 to 4 lakh hectares.

Meanwhile State government’s spokesperson minister Rushikesh Patel in Gandhinagar said that thanks to the timely forecast by Indian Meteorological Department(IMD) most damage to crops and agriculture produce could be averted. He said kharif sowing in the state was 86 lakh hectare, of which the main crops were cotton, castor and tuver. However most produce was cut in the farms. The State has a 10-15 lakh hectare cotton crop standing in the farms. Out of 20-25 lakh hectares of cotton, castor and tuver, most were cut already. As per primary estimate the damages in standing crops of cotton, castor, tuver is around three to four lakh hectares, the minister said.

Patel further said the government has instructed the agriculture department to start a district wise crop survey and complete the task as soon as possible. He said the State government has in the last nine years, paid Rs. 10,740 crore assistance to farmers hit by heavy or unseasonal rains and natural calamities.

The minister said Gujarat witnesses 45 lakh hectare Rabi(winter) sowing , of which 15-16 lakh hecatres is done so far. It includes wheat, sugarcane, Chana, Dhana, cumin, Variyali, vegetables etc that are yet in a growing stage and therefore unaffected in a two-day spell of unseasonal rains, he said. DeshGujarat