Faridkot
Rs 15000 compensation for 100 per cent damage is too little to compensate the farmers.
If the farmers harvest bumper crops, it may yield them 22 quintals per acre, fetching them about Rs 46000 to 47000 besides 2 trollies of straw(16 quintral), which may be priced at Rs 500 per quintal and would have made Rs 8000. This way, a farmer expected Rs 54000 to 55000 income from per acre of wheat.
But where the crop is totally annihilated by hail storms accompanied by torrential rains, Rs 15000 is not enough for the farmers.
Even now, agriculture experts also admit that the situation has worsened by the latest downpour and hail storms.
Earlier, nearly 50 per cent of the crop was flattened and we estimated a decline in the yield of about 30 to 35 per cent, but now it has worsened after the latest rainfall,” said Dr Karanjeet Singh, chief agriculture officer Faridkot, who visited some villages yesterday to assess the loss.
“About 40 to 100 percent damage has been seen in many parts of the state and district, so only Rs 15000 per acre compensation is too less. It should be above Rs 30000 per acre for the total loss,” said Ashok Kumar Goel, president of ahartia association Kotkapura.
“The centre should also come forward to make a contribution towards the loss. It has announced to contribute 10 percent of the loss in Madhya Pradesh only. It should also announce the same policy across the country where the heavy rainfalls leashed a fury and damaged the wheat, mustard and vegetable crops,” said Goel.
“The government also must decide to pay the farmers if their produce sells below MSP because of the damage to the grains which may turn discoloured and lose lacklustre,” Goel demanded.
The havoc played by the rains this season was never expected and it will break the backbone of the farming communities besides all others who rely on agriculture for their livelihood, said Goel.
Bohar Singh Rupian Wala, district president of the Bharatiya Kisan union Faridkot said that each farmer will incur a loss of about Rs 10000 per acre.
“Even where the damage is not much, about 2 to 4 quintals of decline in the yield is expected besides one trolly of the wheat straw. Besides it, the wheat grains will lose germination in affected areas and it will lead to the shortage of seed as well. Apart from it, the people have to consume the damaged produce as mostly rotis are made of wheat flour besides many other products,” said Bohar Singh.
He claimed that patwaris have only visited some villages today and all the farmers are not supposed to be compensated proportionate to their loss.
“In my estimation, the most of the crop would not yield above 40 (one man is 40 kg) Man per acre while the farmers expected it upto 60 Man this season. The crop was earlier very good,” said Sargent Singh, a farmer from village Deviwala.
"I don't think that all the farmers get fair compensation. In our village, no revenue officials have seen surveying the fields and making Girdawari," said Gurmeet Singh, a farmer from Duareana on Sunday.