Southern States
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Andhra Pradesh
Steps afoot to bail out rain-hit ryots: Vadde
By Our Special Correspondent
VIJAYAWADA, JAN. 12. The crop loss due to untimely rain in Prakasam, Nellore and other districts is estimated at Rs. 192 crores and steps are being taken to help the affected farmers raise pulses as summer crop to recoup part of their losses, said Agriculture Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao.
Addressing a press conference here today, M4r. Sobhanadreeswara Rao said the rain which continued for five days wrought havoc with crops in the two districts. Some places received ten times more than the normal rainfall. It caused serious damage to rain-fed crops like pulses threatening to reduce the yields to just 20 per cent. Tobacco too suffered loss due to discolouration. Agriculture officials have been directed to submit a detailed report on damages in the next two days so that the Government can take some decision on the assistance to be given to affected farmers, he said.
He felt that crop insurance alone can save farmers from such natural calamities. He criticised the Centre for fixing 7.4 per cent of the value of cotton crop as premium. It would be burdensome for farmers to pay such high premium and it would only compel them move away from institutional finance, he said. He said it was not justifiable for the Centre to ask the insurance sector to become self-sustaining without any need for subsidy. The insurance sector is given huge subsidies for covering agriculture production even in developed countries. It is not justifiable to adopt a sunset policy on subsidies for agricultural insurance in a developing country like ours, he said. The State has agreed to bear 50 per cent of the insurance cost only to make it acceptable to farmers.
Asked about the continuing suicides among farmers in the State, he attributed it to commecialisation of agriculture. Farmers took large extents of land on lease and cultivated cotton incurring heavy expenditure and borrowing funds at high rate of interest. When the crop failed due to natural calamities or pest attack, they find no way to repay the debts and committing suicide. Also, in Telangana the soils are suited only for varietal cotton. But farmers raised hybrid cotton and faced problems.
He said that the Government has been taking steps to educate farmers through field schools to reduce consumption of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and instead adopt biological control to reduce expenditure and make cotton cultivation economically viable.
Mr. Rao took to task district secretary of the CPI(M) V. Umamaheswara Rao for criticising him ``without basic knowledge'' about agriculture.
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