Team Herald
PANJIM: The crop loss due to flooding data collected and compiled by Agriculture Department has been estimated at approximately Rs 10 crore, while close to 3,000 farmers in the north district have been affected.
Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar, who also holds the Agriculture portfolio, said that the department has estimated the loss to the crop and farms amounting to Rs 10 crore affecting almost 2,900 farmers in Bardez, Bicholim and Pernem talukas.
The data was submitted by the Department to the Minister on Friday. Kavlekar further said that as per the estimates by the Department, around 1,300 hectares of crop have been affected due to flooding.
Asked on the requests from the farmers to provide them relief, the minister said that the government is considering to increase the crop damage compensation rate from Rs 25,000 per hectare to Rs 40,000 per hectare for paddy and Rs 800-1000 per banana tree from existing Rs 400.
In Pernem, around 1,300 farmers have been affected while a farm area of 580 hectares has been damaged with total loss of Rs 2.5 crore. In Bicholim, 700 farmers are affected and loss to 400 hectares of crops is estimated at Rs two crore, whereas in Bardez, the total loss is of Rs one crore to 875 farmers and crop of 265 hectares are damaged.
Kavlekar attended the two-day training camp for the BJP MLAs on Friday. The workshop had been planned to apprise them about the party’s ideology, principles and discipline. Some MLAs however could not attend either due to sickness or preplanned work.
