Rs 507 Cr Relief Package Announced By Odisha Govt. For Cyclone Jawad- Affected Farmers

On Monday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a special package of Rs 507 crore for farmers impacted by Cyclone Jawad, which wreaked havoc on the coastal regions in the first week of December.

Small and marginal farmers who lost 33% of their crops would be compensated Rs 6,800 per hectare of rain-fed land and Rs 13,500 per hectare of irrigated land, according to the package's stipulations.

The government would pay Rs 18,000 each damaged acre of land used to grow all-season crops including mango, cashew, and coconut.

Farmers would get a minimum input subsidy of Rs 2,000 for daily crop loss and Rs 1,000 for other crops, according to a statement released by the Chief Minister's Office.

Farmers in 12 cyclone-affected districts will receive 12,000 quintals of certified high-quality seeds at a reduced price.

In addition, 50,000 small pulse kits and four lakh vegetable kits will be supplied free of charge, according to the statement.

A total of one lakh farmers will get 10 fruit saplings to plant in the backyards of their homes.

A subsidy for agricultural mechanisation would be provided in the affected districts, as well as a 50% discount for pump sets up to Rs 10,000.

Pest-affected farms would also benefit from the programme.

Short-term loans in locations where crop losses are greater than 33% will be changed to medium-term loans. To guarantee that farmers who have enrolled for the Prime Minister's Fasal Bima Yojana receive compensation as soon as feasible, procedures will be taken to analyse post-harvest losses as soon as practicable.

Farmers harmed by the hurricane will also be given emergency financing help for the Rabi crop, according to the announcement.

Similarly, the DBT would grant a subsidy of Rs 50 crore to cyclone-affected farmers for the purchase of sophisticated agriculture equipment, according to the press release. Farmers in the impacted regions will receive 5,000 pump sets and 5,000 sprayers with a 50% subsidy.