Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has said that country’s wheat production is likely to decline by 4-5 per cent in the current crop year from the initial estimates of 95.76 million tonnes due to unseasonal rains.
Speaking at a national conference on Agriculture for kharif campaign in New Delhi today, Mr Singh said, according to initial reports received from various states after unseasonal rains, the estimates show wheat production could drop by 4-5 per cent this year.
The Agriculture Ministry, in its second advanced estimate, has projected wheat production to drop slightly to 95.76 million tonnes in 2014-15 crop year (July-June) from 95.85 million tonnes in the previous year. Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have damaged rabi crops in about 113 lakh hectares of crop area in the country.
Mr Singh said that states have adequate funds under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to provide financial assistance to farmers affected by the unseasonal rains. He also said, the government has also set up an informal group of ministers, headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to look into the issue of raising cap of financial assistance given to farmers whose crops have been affected due to unseasonal rains and other natural calamities.
Mr Singh said the government is committed to give soil health cards to 14 crore farmers by 2017. Mr Singh said all welfare schemes for farmers have been brought under four schemes namely Krishni Unnati Yojana, Rashtriya Krishni Vikas Yojana, Prime minister Sichai Yojana and Rashtriya Krishi Gram Vima Yojana. Speaking on the occasion, Agriculture commissioner JS Sandhu said kharif contingency plan is ready for 580 districts in 25 states of the country.