Question : DAMAGE TO RABI CROPS

(a) whether unseasonal rains and hailstorm have taken its toll on ready-to harvest Rabi crops leading to spurt in cases of suicides by farmers in various parts of the country during the month of February and March, 2015;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has set up any team to assess the damage to rabi crops and loss suffered by the farmers in various States and likely downfall in the production of foodgrain including wheat during the current year, if so, the details and the findings thereof;

(d) the details of assistance sought and given to the States to provide relief to the farmers affected by unseasonal rains and hailstorm in the country; and

(e) the details of the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to compensate the farmers for the damage of their crops and to prevent them from committing suicide?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE ( SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIA )

(a) to (e): As per inputs received from States and based on preliminary assessment, 93.81 lakh hectare area under crops was affected due to hailstorm, unseasonal rains as
on 16.04.2015. However, it is too early to arrive at the exact assessment of damage to production to rabi crops due to rains/ hailstorms etc. As regards suicide by farmers due to agrarian distress, information is furnished by State Governments. As per report received from some of the states, namely, Punjab, Karnataka, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, there have been no incidents of farmers suicides due to agrarian distress caused by unseasonal rains and hailstorm. Government of Maharashtra has however reported three case of farmers’ suicide due to untimely rains and hailstorms during the period January to March 2015.

Department of Agriculture and Cooperation is concerned with coordination of relief measures necessitated by drought, hailstorm, pest attack, cold wave/frost. In the event of any or more of the listed natural calamities taking place in the State(s), fund is readily available with the State Governments under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF is considered from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for natural calamities of severe nature and is approved on basis of Memorandum of State Government in accordance with established procedure keeping in view items and norms in vogue for assistance.

So far memoranda have been received from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana seeking financial assistance Rs.744.48 crores, Rs.8252 crores and Rs.1135.91 crores respectively in the wake of hailstorm from NDRF.

Inter Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) have been constituted to visit the affected States to assess the damage to crops and recommend financial assistance in accordance with extant norms and procedure. IMCTs have already visited the States of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and assessed the ground situation.