Malappuram: Farmers in the district are grappling with the woes of crop losses and inadequate compensation package announced by the union and state governments. Farmers’ organisations have criticised the allocation of Rs 15.3 crore by the governments to meet the crop loss of Rs 54 crore which was assessed by the district administration during the past six months.
As per the assessment of the Agricultural Department, the district has recorded losses of Rs 43.4 crore due to the drought and Rs 11.18 crore due to the recent heavy rains and winds which caused widespread damage to crops particularly plantain in several parts of the district.
Kalikavu, Nilambur, Areekode, Vallikunnu, Kolathur and Thirunavaya are the worst hit areas.
“The farmers are in peril and many are on the verge of suicide. They even cannot settle bank loans of meagre amounts as low as Rs 10,000 with this insufficient compensation. The government has not taken the ground reality into account,” says Vengara Gopi, district president of the Karshaka Congress. The actual loss would be much above the assessment made by the authorities, he said.
For the loss of Rs 43 crore due to the drought, the agricultural authorities have compensated the farmers with Rs 10.3 crore. Of this, Rs 6.68 crore was sanctioned by the state and Rs 3.62 crore by the centre. Similarly, the loss of Rs 11.18 crore due to bad weather was compensated to the tune of '5 crore.
The farmers are not optimistic considering last year’s compensation still remains unpaid. “The agricultural authorities have failed to make use of a major share of the sanctioned fund which lapsed in March,” Gopi said.
There is no one at the helm at the district agriculture department. The post of the Principal Agricultrual Officer has remained vacant for nearly a year. Besides this, there are no Agricultural Officers in as many as 30 Krishi Bhavans across the 15 agricultural blocks in the district. The lack of officers has affected the timely disbursement of financial aid. The farmers will therefore have to knock on several doors to claim the compensation.
As per the figures available with the department, crops have been lost in 8,864.4 hectares. 230 hectares have been affected because of bad weather. Plantains are the worst hit crop. Farmers have lost 1,64,000 plantains with inflorescence and 27,900 trees without inflorescence during the past months in the district. The Karshaka Congress has decided to raise these issues in a dharna that is planned infront of the district collectorate on May 23, Gopi said.
