Severe drought for 3 years means will see substantial decrease in kharif, rabi crop production.
Severe drought for the past three years in a row has impacted Maharashtra’s Economic Survey that was tabled in both houses of the state legislature on Thursday, a day ahead of presentation of budget. According to the survey, agriculture and allied services are expected to decline by 2.7 per cent, which means there will be a substantial decrease in kharif and rabi crop production.
The survey stated that out of a total 355 talukas in the state, 278 received deficient rainfall and both kharif and rabi crops were badly affected owing to severe drought in more than half of the state. Kharif crop production of Jowar, Bajra, Maize, rice and cereals along with pulses and oilseeds would reduce by 20 to 18 per cent this year. While, rabi crop production would show a substantial decrease of 27 to 30 per cent.
Meanwhile, farmer leader from Wardha, Vijay Jawandhia, said that though the survey had stated that crop production would decline, farmers were not getting appropriate prices for their yield.
The decrease in crop production would also affect farmers and hence, they needed a sustainable solution. Mr Jawandhia said that the state government should announce that all work — from cultivation to crop cutting – would be included in the state’s Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) so that farmers would get wages and their costs of production would reduce. He suggested that farmers be pumped off by giving fresh cash credit and before that, their loans be waived off completely.
Mr Jawandhia further said that according to the Constitution, agriculture was a state subject but decisions were being taken by the Centre. He pointed out that there is no subsidy to non-irrigated land, which constitutes about 80 per cent of total land and whatever the subsidy, is given only to irrigated land.
Mr Jawandhia pointed out that the BJP had accepted the recommendation of Swaminathan who said that agricultural growth should not be measured by increase in production but increase in farmers’ incomes.
Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, expressed concern over decrease in crop production and steadily declining position of farmers in the state. He said that while farm ponds and Jalyukt Shivars were long-term measures, what farmers really needed was cash-in-hand relief so that they could feed their families.
Meanwhile, referring to Maharashtra’s flagship program Jal Yukt Shivar (JYS), the survey stated that the state had set a target of making Maharashtra drought-free by 2019, with implementation of JYS on a large scale. The survey also took congnizance of the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme, Gopinath Munde Farmer Accident and several others that would help boost the agricultural sector.
