Sirmaur farmers count losses as crops worth Rs 22L damaged

Relentless rainfall over the past two months has dealt a severe blow to farmers in Sirmaur district, leaving paddy and vegetable crops devastated with losses exceeding Rs 22 lakh. The Agriculture Department has compiled a detailed report of the damages and forwarded it to the directorate for compensation approval.

Cash crops, which are the mainstay of the district’s farming community, have been the worst affected. Tomato, garlic, ginger, French beans, maize, and capsicum suffered more than 33 per cent damage, according to departmental estimates. With 10,200 hectares of cultivable land in Sirmaur, nearly every farming household has been impacted in some way.

The lower areas of Paonta Sahib constituency have reported significant losses in paddy. Around 12 hectares of paddy fields have been completely destroyed, while in Shivpur panchayat, landslides wiped out 1.5 hectares of standing crops. A compensation claim of Rs 2.31 lakh has been submitted for the damage. Vegetable growers have borne the brunt of the excessive rains. Spread over 5,700 hectares in the district, crops like tomato, capsicum and ginger have been hit hardest. Based on online and block-wise claims filed by affected farmers, the department has assessed a loss of Rs 20,34,900 in vegetables alone. When combined with paddy, the total compensation claim stands at Rs 22,65,900.

District Agriculture Officer Dr Raj Kumar said paddy crops over 12 hectares suffered more than 33 per cent loss, while vegetable crops across the district recorded heavy destruction. “The claims amounting to Rs 20.34 lakh for vegetables and over Rs 2.31 lakh for paddy have been settled and sent to the directorate,” he added.