BHUBANESWAR: The State Government will announce compensation for farmers who have suffered crop damage due to pest attack on Monday. Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout announced this after a high-level meeting at the Secretariat in which reports from Collectors of eight districts, where farmers suffered crop loss due to pest attack were discussed. “A meeting presided over by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty will be held on November 6 to decide on compensation to be provided to the farmers,” he said.
Official sources said 1,10,659 hectares paddy fields were affected in pest attack in Bargarh, Ganjam, Sonepur, Kalahandi, Sambalpur and other districts out of which crop damage has been severe in 34,619 hectares.Pesticides were used by farmers so far in 68,342 hectares affected by pest attack.
The Minister said a team experts from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), National Rice Reseach Institute (NRRI), Cuttack and Agriculture Department visited the affected areas and started remedial measures. The farmers are also being made aware by officials about the correct use of pesticides, he said.
Samples of pesticides used by farmers in the affected areas have been collected for examination, Rout said and added that stringent action will be taken those who have supplied sub-standard pesticides. The Minister will review the situation again in a video-conference meeting with the district collectors.
Agriculure Production Commissioner (APC) Gagan Kumar Dhal, Secretary in the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department Sourav Garg and senior officials were present.