Rs 52 crore crop loss in Arunachal this monsoon: Apang

Itanagar, Sep 26: Following a drought-like condition in many parts of Arunachal Pradesh this monsoon, the state agriculture department has estimated a total crop loss of about Rs 52 crore.

While apprising the fact to Prime Miniter Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Gegong Apang has called for concrete measures to address the farmers' greivances with special consideration, official sources here today informed.

Mr Apang said erratic behaviour of monsoon had severely affected tillage and transportation of kharif crops, particularly paddy, while about 21,497 hectares of land were left uncultivated.

Many crops have been destroyed and several others had stunted growth due to drought like situation, the chief minister pointed out urging the Centre for relief.

'' Unless we make a holistic approach, we will remain engaged in fire fighting and never have a permanent solution to the problems confronting the farmer community, '' Mr Apang said.

The state's population could be small compared to other states but its economic potential and strategic considerations was more than several other populous states, he added.

Though the state had been identified as the rice bowl of the entire North East, it had never been registered on the economic radar of the country, Mr Apang regretted.

He said the farmers here did not have access to loan facilities, and hence did not want to share the horrible experience of indebted farmers like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

The Chief Minister also said the farmers here often walk several miles to buy the essentials like salt and kerosene. Giving an overview of the agricultural sector, Mr Apang informed that the sector contributes 26 per cent of the state's gross domestic product at current prices. '' The yield of rice is only Rs 11.10 quintal per hectare against the nation's average of Rs 30 quintal per hectare'', Mr Apang said adding that the state still imported food grains from outside.

Food and nutrition security was in the priority of his government, Mr Apang said and informed that with net cultivated land of about two lakh hectares the state produces around 2,45,000 metric tones of food grains on an average.

The deficit of food grains in the state was recorded at 25 per cent of the actual requirements, he added.

''Subsidised grains imported is a major hinderence to the agricultural growth,'' Mr Apang pointed out and demanded the Centre to provide direct subsidy to the state instead of routing through FCI to make the farmers self-reliant.

Citing problems in jhum cultivation by the farmers, without any other alternative sources of livelihood, Mr Apang said the state government did not have adequate resources to provide succor to the farmers affected by natural disasters like flash floods.

''There is a need for proper documentation, preservation, propagation and training for the farmers to harness their potential to reap more economic benefits,'' said Mr Apang.

UNI