Jhajjar (Haryana) [India], April 4 : Unseasonal rain accompanied by hail has flattened and severely damaged the wheat crop in Madana Kalan village of Jhajjar district, affecting several farmers in the area.
Speaking to ANI, a local farmer said that the unseasonal rain and hail had destroyed his wheat fields, leaving him and other cultivators in the village in a state of distress.
"The crop has been entirely damaged. We demand compensation from the government... Conditions are worse in the entire village; everything has been destroyed," he said.
Another farmer highlighted that while a small portion of the crop, around 10-20 per cent, might have survived, the damage to the majority of his fields would create significant challenges for selling and marketing the remaining produce
"My almost entire crop has been damaged, apart from the 10-20% that might be left... There will be a lot of problems in the sale of this crop. We demand from the government that a timely survey of this damage is carried out and appropriate compensation is given on time," he added, underlining the farmers' call for a prompt and systematic assessment to facilitate compensation and recovery.
Farmers across the village are reportedly assessing the extent of losses, and authorities have been urged to provide relief measures for the affected cultivators.
Earlier, on April 1, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini laid special emphasis on crop diversification, horticulture and the expansion of high-value fruit crops to enhance farmers' income. He directed officers to identify suitable areas and develop clusters for key fruit crops, including strawberry, lemon, guava and dragon fruit.
Chairing a review meeting of the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments, the Chief Minister said that cluster-based farming models should be developed according to soil and climatic conditions to ensure higher productivity and better returns in a shorter time.
The Chief Minister said that alongside traditional crops, fruit cultivation should be promoted on a large scale, according to a release.
"Acknowledging the growing market demand and remunerative prices of these fruits, he stressed linking farmers with production, availability of planting material, processing and marketing to ensure a significant increase in their income," he added.
He further directed promotion of tissue culture-based production of crops such as arhar, soybean, groundnut, pulses, fruit crops and sugarcane.
He said that the agricultural and horticultural potential of each district should be scientifically assessed. The government's objective, he added, is to connect farmers with multi-cropping, multi-product and high-value farming systems to create sustainable income opportunities.
The Chief Minister directed that new hybrid and high-yielding varieties of cotton (narma), mustard, arhar, soybean, groundnut and pulses be developed. He also called for promoting research on seeds and planting materials that can withstand hailstorms, climate change and adverse weather conditions.
He said that land available with agricultural universities, colleges and at the panchayat level should be identified for research and trials so that new varieties and technologies can be tested under local conditions and quickly disseminated among farmers. He also directed that students and research institutions be actively involved to accelerate innovation.
The Chief Minister further directed the officers concerned to study successful hybrid varieties, fruit plants and modern technologies developed in universities of other states and adapt them to Haryana's conditions to ensure the availability of quality seeds and planting material to farmers.
He also directed officers to identify clusters to promote natural farming across the state. Farmers in these clusters should be provided with jeevamrit, organic solutions, drums and other necessary resources, along with practical training. He said that the natural farming model being implemented by Acharya Devvrat at Gurukul Kurukshetra should be adopted as a base for wider implementation, enabling more farmers to take up low-cost and sustainable farming.
He stated that if productivity declines during the initial phase of adopting natural farming in any Cluster, the government should compensate farmers for their losses. Financial assistance and technical guidance should be extended to strengthen farmers' confidence so that natural farming can be scaled up as a mass movement.
The Chief Minister directed that regular testing of crops, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural produce for pesticides and residues be ensured in laboratories. Chemicals that are harmful to health and increase the risk of serious diseases such as cancer should be immediately prohibited. Samples should be sent regularly for testing, and strict action must be taken against violators.