Massive agricultural loss adds pressure to flood-ravaged Assam

Guwahati, Sep 10 (UNI) With the third wave of flood severely hitting the farmers in Assam, crop loss in terms of production could be over Rs 700 crore and 30 per cent fall in production, State Agriculture Minister Pramila Rani Brahma today said.

''It is too early to estimate the total loss since agricultural loss can be calculated only after the waters have receded. As per the estimates at the end of the second wave of flood in July, over Rs 700 crore have been lost in terms of production,'' she said adding the total fall in production could be about 30 per cent at the end of the third wave of flood.

The Minister said the present flood had seriously affected the Kharif crop in the state as seeds of black gram had to be sown latest by September 15.

''With paddy fields submerged, we anticipate a huge loss in Kharif crop production this year,'' she added.

As many as 24 lakh hectares of Kharif crops are grown in the state. As much as 3,81,539 hectares of different Kharif crops were damaged in the previous waves of floods and the figure could be much higher by the end of the present flood.

Ms Brahma said that the government would be concentrating on massive production of Rabi crops in the wake of damage to the Kharif crops.

She said a flood relief scheme of Rs 68.27 crore had already been submitted to the Revenue Department, of which Rs five crore had been sanctioned for purchasing seeds.

''As the agriculture sector is time-bound, we are ensuring that no farmer is denied help due to the non-sanction by the government.

The district officials have been authorised to extend full cooperation,'' she added.

The Minister said under the Rabi crop cultivation programme, the department would be providing large quantities of wheat, pea, lentil, rape and mustard, summer paddy, potato and onion seeds.

Besides, the department would also implement free of cost tractorisation of five lakh bighas of land, she added.

Ms Brahma said the relief provided would be increased after assessing the damage in the current wave of floods.

The Minister also stressed the need to make the state self-dependent in terms of seed production. The 74 seed farms in the state would be given a boost and action plan for the purpose, along with recommendations on other measures to make the agriculture sector more productive in the state, had been prepared be submitted to the Chief Minister later this month, Ms Brahma added.

Over 10 lakh farmer families of nearly 9,000 villages had been affected in the second wave of flood in late July.

UNI