Vijayawada: Kakani Govardhan Reddy crop loss data to be ready by December 1
Agriculture minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy holds a review on drought situations and seasonal conditions with senior officials at the Secretariat on Thursday
Vijayawada : Agriculture minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy said on Thursday that agriculture department will prepare the data by December 1 on the crop loss suffered by the farmers due to drought conditions prevailed in the state.
He said the government has declared 103 mandals in seven districts as the drought-hit mandals and will take relief measures for farmers. Govardhan Reddy held a review with the officials of agriculture and allied departments at the Secretariat.
Noting that drought and dry spell conditions prevailed in the state this kharif season, he said the government will also render assistance to the farmers if they suffered loss in the non-drought affected mandals. He said input subsidy will be given to the farmers in the mandals which are not affected by drought.
Govardhan Reddy said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy conducted a meeting with officials after taking note of dry spell conditions in the state and instructed the officials to take measures to face the drought situation. “The government has announced that 80 mandals are facing severe drought conditions and 23 mandals facing moderate drought condition. The government will send a report to the Union government seeking help to the farmers who incurred losses due to the drought prevailed in the 103 mandals,” he said.
The minister informed that a Central team will tour the drought-hit mandals very soon and the state government is taking measures to increase MNREGS works from 100 to 150 days to provide livelihood to the rural people.
He said crop loss survey for this kharif season was completed on November 23, Thursday, and the officials are preparing for the social audit in village secretariats on November 29. Data will be ready by December 1 on the crop loss suffered by farmers in this kharif season.
Referring to crop insurance, the minister said insurance is provided to the farmers through e-crop booking and the government is paying premium on behalf of the farmers, he added.
The minister said the agriculture department has prepared rabi crop plan and stated that priority will be given to short term crops. State agriculture department commissioner C Hari Kiran, horticulture commissioner S Sridhar and other officials attended the review.