Windstorm-hit farmers expect little compensation from govt

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 25

Already worried over low production and damage being done to their paddy crop by the recent windstorm, the affected farmers in the Jammu region have not much expectations form the government in terms of disbursement of relief, which they will get after assessment of the damaged crops.

During a visit to a few areas, signs of worry were clearly visible on the faces of farmers working on their agricultural land who blamed the successive governments for not helping their cause.

“This is for the third consecutive year that the crop has been damaged due to non-seasonal rain and windstorms. Just when we were hoping for a better crop, the windstorm has poured water on all our hopes”, Om Parkash, a farmer from Karwal village said.

“As far as the relief for damaged crop is concerned, I am not very sure whether we will get the same after assessment by the authorities. For the past many years, we are hearing that adequate relief will be disbursed among the farmers for the damaged crops but in actual terms, it rarely happens”, he added.

“My elders who used to work in the fields have also informed that the relief amount received by the farmers for their damaged crop was not sufficient.

This time too, we don’t have much expectations from the government to get adequate relief for our damaged crops”, said Garo Devi, a woman farmer from Patli Morh village.

“Leave aside selling of rice in the market, it is not even sufficient for the family to survive. Last year too, un-seasonal rain and windstorm had caused damage to the basmati rice crop, but luckily it was enough for the family. Let us hope that all affected farmers like me will get adequate relief for their damaged crop”, another farmer, Sankalp Kumar from Khairi village said.

Jammu Province produces one lakh metric tonnes of exotic varieties of basmati rice in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts in areas along the 198-km International Border (IB) with Pakistan. Around 30,000 metric tonnes of rice is exported every year.

Inconsistent rice production

Due to various climatic reasons, the rice production in J&K has not been consistent for the past few years. As per data available, in 2010-11, J&K produced 0.51 million tonnes of rice followed by 0.54 million tonnes in 2011-12, 0.82 million tonnes in 2012-13, 0.61 million tonness in 2013-14 and 0.52million tonnes in 2014-15.

Exotic varieties of basmati rice grown along IB

Jammu province produces one-lakh metric tonnes of exotic varieties of basmati rice in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts in areas along the 198-km International Border (IB) with Pakistan. Around 30,000 metric tonnes of rice is exported every year.