Kumaon farmers demand relief for damaged crops

BDKasniyal

Pithoragarh, April 19

Farmers in Nainital, Champawat and Berinag subdivision of Pithoragarh district are demanding compensation for damaged rabi crops this year. Chief Minister Harish Rawat has announced that a minimum compensation of Rs 20,000 be given to farmers for their damaged crops.

The farmers of Golapar region of Haldwani, well known for its commercial crops of tomato in Kumaon region, have said that after damages to tomato crop, the wheat crop in the region has also been damaged and this situation has led them into a debt trap as they have sown these crops with the help of loans from cooperatives.

“The damage to our crops has created multiple problems for the farmers. These have not been heard by the state government so far. We are going to call a maha panchayat of farmers of Kumaon region soon to discuss the actual package of damage for the crop losses this year,” said Pan Singh Mewari, a member of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti at Golapar area of Haldwani.

The farmers in Champawat district have said their potato, mustard, wheat and lentil crops have rotten due to unwanted rains and they have been rendered helpless owing to this year’s weather. “Farmers who had sown potato crops by spending an average of around Rs 6,500 per family, will now have to purchase oil, grocery and pulses from the market, and they have no money with them,” said Navin Karayat, district president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) in Champawat district.

According to the BKU district president, while hailstorms and rains have destroyed their horticulture crops of mango and litchi in plain parts of the district, the wheat crop is now spotted black due to rains and water-logging in fields.

The farmers of Pankhu belt of Berinag subdivision today reached the sub-divisional headquarters to demonstrate samples of their damaged crops and claimed that over 80 per cent of their Rabi crops were damaged this year and they will have to bear the brunt of famine if the government does not give them sufficient compensation for this damage. “We used to have sufficient food for our families for the year by harvesting Rabi crops, but this year, we have lost over 80 per cent crops,” said Govind Ram, gram pradhan of Chausala village of Pankhu area of the subdivision.