Horticulture, agriculture loss Rs 40 crore, Mandi worst-hit

The departments of horticulture and agriculture have suffered a loss of around Rs 40 crore till date during the ongoing monsoon season. While the loss in the Horticulture Department has risen above Rs 27 crore, the loss in the Agriculture Department has been pegged at over Rs 11 crore.

Mandi district has suffered the maximum damage in both sectors due to several incidents of cloudburst, flashflood and landslide. Out of the over Rs 27 crore loss in the horticulture sector, Mandi district has endured a loss of around Rs 25 crore. “Over 500 hectares have been damaged due to natural calamities in Mandi district, affecting around 1,270 horticulturalists,” said a Horticulture Department official. He added, “The maximum loss has been recorded in the apple growing areas, where both crops and apple trees have been lost.”

The other districts that have suffered losses, though much less than Mandi district, are Kullu, Shimla, Kinnaur and Hamirpur. “In most districts, the apple crop has suffered the maximum damage. In Hamirpur, mango and guava crops have been damaged due to heavy rain,” the official said.

In the agriculture sector, too, Mandi district has suffered the maximum damage. Out of the total loss of over Rs 11 crore so far, Mandi alone has suffered over Rs 8 crore loss. “The loss pertains to the land lost by farmers as they had just sown crops,” said an Agriculture Department official.