The farmers in the district have lost their crop for the third consecutive year. For the last two years, scanty rainfall tormented them but this year in the kharif season, in spite of sowing seeds due to heavy rains, floods were responsible for the damage in crops.
The majorly affected crops are cotton and soyabean. As a result, as many as 14 farmers have committed suicide in the past 25 days owing to debts. Due to the recent floods in the district, the fertile land is covered with sand and boulders rendering it uncultivable for rabi.
According to officals, the total agricultural land in the district stands at 5,23,273 hectares. Of this, cotton is cultivated on 3,10,600; soyabean on 1,19,907 and red gram on 36,631 hectares.
According to reports, 27 mandals were fully damaged in the recent floods and 20,000 acres of land has been partially damaged.
Agriculture officers conducted a survey of the damaged mandals of Tamsi, Jainath, Bela, Bejjur, Koutala, Chennur and Dahegam.
M Devanna of Tamsi mandal told Express that four acres of his cotton plantation was completely destroyed in the floods and he was not able to sow rabi due to it. “I have invested `10,000 per acre. The input subsidy that the government provides is not enough,” he said. He urged the government to complete its survey at the earliest and release the remaining input subsidies quickly.
Rythu Sangham district president, Bandi Dattatri said the government should wavier the crop loan and issue fresh loans for rabi cultivation.
He further added that seeds and fertilizers should be given to farmers at a subsidised price. “The government should take more initiatives to curb the farmer suicides and the CM should concentrate on this issue rather than the Seemandhra agitation,” he said.
With a calculation of Rs10,000 per acre, the total loss incurred by the farmers of the district can be amounted to Rs 230 crore, Dattatri added.