By IANS
Jaipur : The extreme cold and frost have damaged crops and vegetables worth Rs.6.5 billion ($164.5 million) in Rajasthan, estimates the agriculture department.
Crops like mustard and cumin seed (jeera) have been hit the most, says the department in a preliminary estimate of the damage wrought by the cold.
“We have asked all collectors to report the exact damage in the next couple of days,” Agriculture Minister Prabhulal Saini told IANS.
According to commodity traders here, farmers in Sri Ganganagar and neighbouring Hanumangarh districts have lost over 50 percent of their standing mustard crop.
Rajasthan is the largest producer of mustard in the country, contributing about 40 percent of the total produce. The winter, or rabi, crop was sown in an area of around 2.3 million hectares this year, and estimates are that about 700,000 hectares have been hit.
“We sometimes suffer because of drought, but this time when everything looked fine the cold has affected our crop badly. I had sown mustard in my farm, but only 60-65 percent of the crop remains. If the cold wave continues for another few days I might lose more,” said Beni Prasad, a farmer in Shidaspura area of Jaipur district.
Farmers in Sri Ganganagar district, about 500 km from here, are demanding compensation of Rs.10,000 per bigha (around 3,300 sq yards) for the loss of their mustard crop.
“If the government does not announce any compensation for the farmers then we would be forced to close down the mandis (commodity yards) in our district,” a leader of the Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha said.
Farmers have given an ultimatum in Sikar district as well. They have threatened a demonstration if compensation is not paid by Feb 12.