Farmers dismayed by meagre input subsidy for crop loss

Farmers have expressed dismay over the meagre input subsidy disbursed to those who have sustained crop loss due to heavy rains during 2021-22 in the district. According to statistics from the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat, 6,197 small-holder farmers in Mysuru district have received agricultural input subsidy. They own less than 2 hectares of land and to be eligible for input subsidy the crop loss incurred should be more than 33 per cent of the actual area under cultivation. The financial assistance disbursed was to the tune of ₹6,800 per head and the farmers have said that it does not even meet a fraction of the cost of production. This was in case of farmers who practice agriculture under rain-fed conditions. In case of farmers in irrigated areas, the financial assistance was pegged at ₹13,500. The area under crop cultivation which was damaged was pegged at 2,224.24 hectares which affected 6,197 farmers. Though the cumulative outgo by way of financial assistance was ₹1.68 crore, the actual benefit based on the extent of landholding was much less. ‘’Farmers are not beggars to receive pittance from the government and this is just an eyewash to create an impression that the authorities have done something’’, said Atahalli Devaraj, General Secretary, Karnataka Sugarcane Cultivators Association. The maximum number of farmers – 2214 – qualified for input subsidy from Periyapatna followed by Mysuru (1,034), K.R.Nagar (990), Saraguru (921), Hunsur (491), H.D.Kote (430). The remaining were from Nanjangud and T.Narsipur. While the political leadership and the general public perceive that bountiful rain this year was a blessing as the dams are full, the farmers have a different view. Mr. Devaraj said the standing crops received excess rains during the growth period. The actual crop loss is higher than what the authorities have calculated because excess rains have a direct bearing on yield which is not taken into account while computing the loss. In case of paddy not only does the yield decline but is unfit for consumption and the output is also rejected by the paddy procurement centres, said Mr. Devaraj. Similar views were expressed by farmers belonging to Hasiru Sene and Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha who described the government’s assistance as a pittance. ‘’The cost of cultivating paddy is pegged at ₹15,000 per acre whereas the input subsidy for upto 2 hectares is only ₹6,800 in case of agriculture under rainfed conditions’’, said Mr. Devaraj. The farmers have been consistently demanding the methodology of loss computation to be revised so that they receive the actual cultivation cost in case of loss but it is yet to be conceded by the government.