Crop damage: Deadline extended for farmers to submit report

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday announced extension of the deadline till January 1 for farmers to submit the report on crop damage due to unseasonal rains, and make claim for compensation.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi made the announcement after the State government’s de-mand in this regard was accepted by the Centre. He said farmers can now report and claim compensation over crop loss till midnight of January 1.

The initial deadline was December 29, which was later extended till December 30. Majhi and other ministers had visited different rain-affected districts on Sunday, following which the State government had requested the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment to ex-tend time for the farmers to report crop loss.

“Keeping in view the interests of the farmers, the Central government has extended the time... Farmers can now inform the insurance companies about the crop loss till January 1, 2025,” a statement issued by the CMO said.

Meanwhile, Majhi said the damage assessment report in the wake of the unseasonal rains be-tween December 20 and December 28, will be released on Tuesday. The Chief Minister has also announced that farmers, those covered under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and uninsured, will get assistance from the government, as there has been extensive damage to standing paddy crops.

It is also considering compensation for farmers growing cotton, vegetables, betel leaf and other cash crops, officials said.