This year’s loss is just 20% of the damage that was suffered in floods of 2019While a complete survey of crop loss due to floods this year is yet to be made, farmers in Belagavi district alone are likely to lose crops in over 43,000 hectares of land. The debilitating floods in July, August and September of last year damaged crops on 2.2 lakh hectares. The damaged crops include sugarcane on 17,877 hectares, green gram on 8,500 hectares, maize on 6,043 hectares, paddy on 3,014 hectares, soya on 1,710 hectares, sunflower on 490 hectares, and other crops like niger and minor millet on 177 hectares. A total 6.8 lakh hectares were cultivated as against the target of six lakh hectares. Unkept promiseFarmers’ leaders complained that the State government has not properly compensated those who lost crops last year.

Source: The Hindu August 24, 2020 18:11 UTC