Crop losses reported in parts of Goa due to extreme rainfall, says minister

Goa Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik on Monday informed the state legislative assembly that crop losses have been reported in parts of the state due to extreme rainfall last month.

Naik was responding to a joint question tabled by MLAs Vijai Sardesai, Cruz Silva and Carlose Fereira.

As per the annexure provided by the minister on the floor of the House, farmers from Bardez, Canacona, Ponda, Quepem, Sanguem and Sattari talukas have made claims for compensation for crop losses due to incessant rains in the coastal state.

Extreme forest fires and unusually high temperatures have not caused major crop losses in the state since June 1, 2020, the minister said.

In a reply to a question about providing weather warnings to farmers, Naik said there is no special plan or protocol for agriculture disaster risk management or crisis management with state agromet service centres (IMD).

However, the agromet advisory bulletin for Goa issued by the Meteorological Centre, Goa and by ICAR-CCARI, Old Goa is disseminated to farmers regularly to warn/guide/train about upcoming extreme weather events and mitigation measures to avoid crop loss, he said.

While there is no specific crop loss compensation scheme for farmers with small land holdings, the Shetkari Adhar Nidhi scheme provides compensation for crop losses for all types of farmers, he said.

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) aims to support production in agriculture by providing an affordable crop insurance product to ensure comprehensive risk cover for crops against all non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest stage, the minister said.