Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday announced a special package of Rs 300 crore for livelihood support for farmers to ameliorate their sufferings due to the recent floods in the state. In the farm sector, agriculture input subsidy will be provided to small and marginal farmers who have sustained crop loss of 33 per cent and above at the rate of Rs 6,800 per hectare of land in rain-fed and non-irrigated areas, a statement from the chief ministers office said.
Rs 13,500 input subsidy will be provided per hectare of land in areas under assured irrigation and Rs 18,000 per hectare for all types of perennial crops, the statement said adding perennial crops will include mango, cashew, coconut,kewra and betel vines. Incessant rainfall triggered by a series of low pressure areas over the Bay of Bengal and consequent flood during last week of August in different districts have caused damage to standing crops.
The government assistance shall be provided to the actual cultivators. Agricultural input subsidy to any affected farmer wil lnot be less than Rs 2,000 for perennial crops and Rs 1,000 for other crops, the statement said. Twenty thousand pulse seed mini kits will be provided to the flood affected farmers during Rabi season of 2020, it said. Demonstration programmes in respect of different crops will be taken up in 60,000 acres in the affected districts in the ensuing Rabi season, it said.
As many as 2,000 pump sets will be provided with 50 per cent subsidy limited to a maximum of Rs 15,000, while 5,000 power sprayers will be made available to the flood affected farmers at a subsidy of 50 per cent limited to maximum of Rs 3,000 for battery operated sprayers and Rs 600 for hand operated sprayers. One lakh farmers will be trained in seed treatment programmes. They will be given free supply of seed treatment chemicals and bio-pesticides to cover one lakh acres to increase production of Rabi crops. Immediate steps will betaken to arrange and distribute quality certified seeds insufficient quantity for the Rabi season.
Special assistance will be provided to farmers with higher subsidy of around 75 per cent for certified quality seeds, it said. Farm mechanisation subsidy of Rs 10 crore will be disbursed to the affected districts, while expeditious steps will be taken for crop loss assessment and to meet mid-season adversity under the crop insurance scheme, it said.
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