KOCHI: The state government has allocated Rs 10 crore as compensation for cardamom farmers in Idukki who suffered crop loss due to the severe drought last year. The fund has been allocated from the Disaster Management Fund for replanting the crop in 3,505.58 hectares of farmland in Idukki. As many as 13,607 farmers will receive compensation, said Agriculture Minister P Prasad on Thursday.
The state government had submitted a report to the Centre seeking the release of Rs 260 crore from the drought relief fund as crops were destroyed in 46,587 hectares affecting the livelihood of 56,947 farmers.
As the Centre did not release funds, a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to allocate relief from the disaster mitigation fund. “Normally farmers get a yield of 300 to 350 kg from an acre of cardamom which plunged to 30 kg due to the drought.
The livelihood of marginal farmers was affected as they had to replant the crop. The new plants will start bearing fruits only after two years. This year also the summer has started peaking and if we don’t get good rain, the plants will start wilting,” said Cardamom Growers Association president Antony Mathew.