Crop failure: Central team to visit State

With Karnataka being the first state to declare failure of winter crop this year, the Centre on Wednesday decided to send a high-level team there to assess the situation caused due to dry, warm winter.

The Agriculture Ministry has decided to send a team headed by Dinesh Kumar, joint secretary, to visit calamity-hit areas, an official told Deccan Herald.

The State’s resident commissioner Atul Kumar Tiwari met Union Agriculture Ministry officials, including Kumar, and apprised them of the situation in the State.

Karnataka has requested central assistance of Rs 1,417 crore after damage to rabi crops worth Rs 7,209 crore. The State sought Rs 1,290 crore for crop failure, Rs 74.67 crore for animal husbandry losses and Rs 52 crore to provide drinking water in rural areas, said an official.

The State - in its memorandum submitted to the ministry - said rabi crops sown in more than 24.64 lakh hectares mainly in 12 districts (Dharwad, Haveri, Vijayapura, Gadag, Bidar, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Ballari, Koppal, Raichur, Kalaburagi and Yadgir) had suffered damaged.

Winter crops - jowar, sunflower, chickpea and linseed - suffered heavy losses while wheat, cotton and rice are partially affected. Rabi crops depend on moisture and Karnataka witnessed warm and dry weather this year, said an official.

DH News Service