Cotton farmers faced losses in last kharif season, suggests HAU report

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, July 7

As farmers were demanding compensation for cotton crop last year in Hisar, the Economic Report of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University (HAU), Hisar, has also suggested that the cotton farmers were indeed at a loss in the cotton belt of Hisar, Bhiwani, Sirsa districts etc.

The report (a copy of which is with The Tribune) indicated that the farmers had suffered a loss of about Rs 5,721 per acre on an average in the state when the total input costs were compared with the gross return.

Hisar and Sirsa farmers were at a heavy loss of Rs 10,030 and Rs 8,337, respectively. The report mentioned that the incidence of pink bollworm had been observed but it was above the economic threshold level. However, the farmers had complained that the pink bollworm coupled with inundation of fields due to heavy untimely rains had inflicted huge damage to the cotton crop in the 2021 kharif season.

Though the insurance firms have compensated the affected insured farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the un-insured farmers had demanded special girdawari of the crop damage and compensation from the state government. A revenue official from Hisar said the state government had also given compensation to the farmers except in the regions of Balsamand, Adampur and Kheri Chopta which had below 25 per cent crop loss. However, these farmers too raised doubts over the special girdawari and have started agitation on their demand for compensation.

Meanwhile, the HAU’s report on the ‘Economics of important kharif crops during 2021’ has compiled sample size data of the farmers from Hisar, Bhiwani, Sirsa, Rewari and Mahendergarh districts. The data analysis indicated that the total input cost of one acre of cotton is Rs 35,241 which includes tillage, seed, fertiliser, irrigation, harvesting management charges, risk factor, transportation and rental value of land. Of this, the farmer garnered the gross return of Rs 29,520 per acre — a net loss of Rs 5,721.

However, the report suggested that the farmers had fetched a return of Rs 8,375 per acre if the gross income was compared with only the variable cost of inputs that excluded the management charges, risk factor, transportation and rental value of the land. Mange Ram Sharma, a farmer of Kirtan village, said he garnered about 16 quintals of cotton from five acres. “The production should have crossed 40 quintals if the rains and bollworm had not affected the crop”, he said. Surender Arya, a farmer leader said they had been holding dharna at Balsamand sub-tehsil office for the past 57 days. “We demand that all cotton farmers should get adequate compensation”, he said adding that the university report has substantiated the demand of the farmers. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda visited the dharna site yesterday to back the farmers’ demand while RLD leader Jayanat Chaudhary too had come out is support of the farmers on the issue.

Uninsured ones demand special girdawari

Though the insurance firms have compensated the affected insured farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the uninsured farmers had demanded special girdawari of the crop damage and compensation from the state government.

Should get relief

We have been holding dharna at Balsamand sub-tehsil office for the past 57 days. We demand that all cotton farmers should get adequate compensation. . Surender Arya, a farmer leader

Some not compensated

The government has not given compensation to farmers in the regions of Balsamand, Adampur and Kheri Chopta which had below 25 per cent crop loss. Revenue official, Hisar

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