Date:23/12/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/12/23/stories/2003122303560400.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

FCI agrees to relax procurement norms

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA DEC. 22. The Food Corporation of India has agreed to relax norms for the moisture content up to 20 per cent for purchase of paddy from farmers of cyclone-affected districts of the State. The permissible limit for discolouration of rice has been extended up to 15 per cent and that of shrivelled paddy to 6 per cent from 3 per cent.

However, the minimum support price fixation for the purchase of paddy will be fixed after due evaluation of the damaged material and other factors, the Agriculture Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, said. Relaxation of the various norms has been made possible after the State Government took up the issue with the Centre and prevailed upon the FCI to relax the norms for mitigating the hardship of farmers devastated by the recent cylcone, the Minister told a news conference here on Monday. He said the Government would provide 90 per cent seed subsidy to farmers for laying fresh crops.

Replying to questions he said that contrary to the earlier findings of 57,000 hectares of paddy crop being damaged, the latest estimates had revealed an destruction of an additional 35,000 hectares of paddy crop in the district. He asserted that that the Government would take every step to provide compensation to farmers through crop insurance benefits and extend them maximum relief.

Rejecting the Opposition parties' allegations of the Government being "anti-farmer'', Mr Rao stated that during the present year the Government had provided seed subsidy of Rs 5 crores for farmers in Krishna district alone. The Minister took exception to the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president's charge that the massive crop destruction could have been averted had the Government released water in time for the delta region. Mr Rao pointed out that earlier during an all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, Mr Srinivas had never bothered to take up the issue of water release for the delta farmer and remained silent throughout the meeting. But now after the cyclone he was seeking to blame the Government for non-release of water, he said. The Minister's argument was that hailing as he does from the Telangana belt, he had tacitly opposed the release of water for the Krishna belt.

The following is the relief granted to farmers under G.O Ms.No 1336 for relief measures to small, marginal and other farmers who suffer damage to their agriculture and horticulture crops, subject to a maximum of two hectares (5 acres). Jowar, bajra, ragi, castor -Rs 1000 (if crop damage is more than 50 per cent), paddy, maize, redgram, sunflower, soyabean-Rs 1,250 (if crop damage is more than 50 per cent), groundnut, cotton, sugar cane, turmeric, chillies, vegetables, onion, flowers, papaya -1,500 (if crop damage is more than 90 percent), mango, citrus, cashewnut, banana, sapota, guava, pomegranate, ber etc-Rs 3,000 (if crop damage is more than 50 per cent), coconut -Rs 55 (per tree for crown damaged trees, limiting to 150 trees per feet, betelvine -Rs 75 per cent limiting to 30 cents per farmer and tobacco (natu)-Rs 2000.