AHMEDABAD: Over 33% of 30 lakh hectares of Kharif crop in Gujarat have been damaged due to unseasonal rains. A government survey estimated total losses to be around Rs 1,574 crore, prompting the Gujarat government to prepare a fresh relief package.
Gujarat experienced relentless rains at the end of October measuring 88.67 mm has caused widespread crop devastation across the state’s 71 lakh hectares of cultivated land, shattering the livelihoods of 17.06 lakh farmers in 16,387 villages.
Responding to farmer representations, the state government swiftly ordered a damage assessment survey, with the Agriculture Department deploying hundreds of teams across regions.
The preliminary report paints a grim picture 33% or more loss in 30.92 lakh hectares, translating to an estimated Rs 1,574.48 crore hit to Gujarat’s farming economy.
Of this, the Saurashtra zone stands out as the worst affected. Out of 37.71 lakh hectares sown, 33.53 lakh hectares have been damaged. Surveys covering 28.28 lakh hectares reveal that 12.65 lakh farmers have lost over 33% of their crops, incurring a staggering Rs 1,218.50 crore loss nearly 80% of the total state damage.
The Mid-East zone follows, with 52.54% of its 15.55 lakh hectares affected. Over 3.18 lakh hectares of land belonging to 2.59 lakh farmers have suffered major damage worth Rs 296.45 crore.
In South Gujarat, unseasonal rains have lashed 79% of the cultivation, impacting 5.61 lakh hectares. Here, 1.36 lakh farmers in 1.67 lakh hectares face heavy losses worth Rs 58.45 crore.
Even North Gujarat, which sowed 18.08 lakh hectares, hasn’t been spared 4.14 lakh hectares of crops are hit, with 44,849 farmers suffering significant losses in 46,125 hectares, valued at Rs 28.11 crore.
According to officials, 70% of the surveyed area has been preliminarily verified, and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is likely to announce a comprehensive relief package on Tuesday or Wednesday. The move comes after Patel personally directed officials to complete damage reports by this week, assuring farmers that “no one will be left without help.”
This crisis follows close on the heels of the Rs 947 crore relief package the government rolled out in August-September 2025 when heavy monsoon rains ravaged 18 talukas, including Vav-Tharad, Kutch, Junagadh, and Patan. Of that, Rs 563 crore came under SDRF norms, with Rs 384 crore added from the state exchequer — a sign of Gujarat’s growing climate-linked agrarian distress.