Submerged houses in Kerala. (Reuters Photo/File)
The flood, which has caused heavy loss to Kerala’s agriculture and dairy sector, could impact the state’s already deficient food production as well as the livelihood of lakhs of farmers.
According to the preliminary assessment, standing crops cultivated on 56439.19 hectares are already destroyed. The loss until August 21 was pegged at Rs 1,345 crore.
The worst affected was paddy cultivation, which has suffered loss on 25,934 hectares. Tapioca came second at 10,189 hectares. With rice and tapioca being major staple foods in Kerala, the loss of both crops would impact the state’s food sufficiency in the coming months.
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Kerala Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar said the loss would go up as the situation has not been reviewed in remote areas. “As per norms, we can give only Rs 233 crore as compensation for loss of Rs 1,345 crore. Only a small section of farmers in Kerala has agricultural insurance. So, the department will seek a special revival package for agriculture.’’
He said the crisis had come at a time the state was pursuing a mission to attain self-sufficiency in vegetable cultivation. “With loss of rice cultivation in Palakkad and Kuttanad, we fear that the flood would affect Kerala’s food production in a big way,” he said.
After the fall in the prices of cash crops, hundreds of farmers had shifted to the dairy sector, which is a source of regular income. Loss of milking animals in the flood has taken away the livelihood of several persons.
Kerala Cooperative Milk Federation Limited chairman P T Gopala Kurup said the loss of animals or deprivation of fodder by the flood has brought down milk procurement in the state by 2-2.5 lakh litres a day.
“We are collecting details, but the impact of flood is already being felt in terms of procurement. The federation procures 13 lakh litres of milk a day. Post-flood, there is a fall in daily procurement by 2.5 lakh litres. Survival of dairy sector families is a major challenge,” said Kurup.
State Animal Husbandry Director Dr N N Sasi said that based on carcasses identified by officials, farmers have lost animals and fowl worth Rs 110.57 crore. “The loss will be much more as scores of animals have been washed away. Also, more affected farmers will report death of animals,” said Sasi.