Nearly 12,500 ha of crops damaged in locust attacks in 2020: Tomar
By TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, FEB 14, 2021: THE Inter-ministerial Central teams found nearly 12,500 hectares of farmlands damaged in the locust attacks in five States and released close to Rs. 9,800 crore under the government's crop insurance scheme in 2020-21, said Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Mr Narendra Singh Tomar.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, the minister said the Central government has assessed the damage caused to crops in the wake of natural calamities, pest attack, cold wave and frost, and diseases, "as and when required."
During 2020-21, the locust attack in the midst of the pandemic, led to crop damage in 6,520 hectare in Haryana, 4,400 hectare in Madhya Pradesh, 806 hectare in Maharashtra, 488 hectare in Uttar Pradesh and 267 hectare in Uttarakhand.
The previous year saw locusts damage up to 1.98 lakh hectare in eight districts of Rajasthan and two districts of Gujarat. Fall armyworm had infested 5 lakh hectare in 2018-19, while 7 lakh hectare was damaged by the pests in 2019-20 in Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Mr Tomar said the government implemented the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for insurance coverage to farmers against crop losses on account of natural calamities, and the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance (RWBCI) Scheme for adverse weather incidences.
Under the two insurance schemes, the government has released funds amounting to Rs. 9799.86 in 2020-21 as of December 31, 2020, said the minister.