Lok Sabha Question No. 922 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-13
Subject: Damage of Crops in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Beesetti  Venkata Satyavathi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 922

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 13 TH  DECEMBER, 2022

## DAMAGE OF CROPS IN ANDHRA PRADESH

## 922.  DR. BEESETTI VENKATA SATYAVATHI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that heavy rains and floods in districts of Andhra Pradesh  have  damaged  agriculture  crops  spread  over  eight  lakh  hectares  with  crop  loss estimated at around Rs. 3,000 crore;
- (b) if  so, whether any compensation and financial assistance has been provided for the same to the State;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the measures taken by the Government to change cropping patterns which will help mitigate changes in climate across the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a)  to  (c):  The  State  Government  is  primarily  responsible  for  providing  necessary  relief measures  in  the  wake  of  natural  calamities.  For  undertaking  relief  measures,  funds  are available  with  the  State  Government  in  the  form  of  the  State  Disaster  Response  Fund (SDRF).  Additional  financial  assistance,  over  and  above  SDRF,  is  considered  from  the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for natural calamities of a severe nature and is approved  on  the  basis  of  a  Memorandum  received  from  the  State  Government,  in accordance with established procedures, which includes an assessment based on the visit of  an  Inter-Ministerial  Central  Team  (IMCT).  The  financial  assistance  includes  agriculture input  subsidy  as one of  the  components, which is computed for the affected area having crop loss of 33% & above.

The State Government of Andhra Pradesh has been allocated Rs.1252.80 crore (Rs.940.00 crore as central share & Rs. 312.80 crore as state share) under SDRF during 2022-23. First installment of central share of SDRF amounting to Rs.470.00 crore has been released to the State.

As  per  the  Memorandum  submitted  by  the  State  Government  of  Andhra  Pradesh,  the affected  area  having  crop  loss  of  33%  &  above  from  heavy  rainfall  is  6928.13  hectares. Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) was constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs. IMCT visited  Andhra  Pradesh  from 10.08.2022 to 11.08.2022 for  an on-the-spot assessment of the  damages  caused by  the  floods  of  2022  and  submitted  its  Report.  The  Report  of  the IMCT is considered by the Sub-Committee of National Executive Committee (SC-NEC) and subsequently, by the High Level Committee (HLC) as per the laid down procedures.

(d):  The  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  under  National  Innovations  in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project has developed several resilient technologies to  mitigate climate  change.  Climate  resilient  technologies  viz.,  resilient  intercropping systems,  crop  diversification  from  paddy  to  other  alternate  crops  like  pulses,  oilseeds, agroforestry  systems,  alternate  methods  of  rice  cultivation  (system  of  rice  intensification, aerobic rice, direct seeded rice) etc. have been developed and evaluated in farmers' fields for their adoption. Prominent resilient intercropping systems  performed better than traditional farmers' practices resulting in improved yields up to 18% in the climate resilient villages.  Shift  from  rice-rice  to  rice-pulse  (green gram/  black  gram)  cropping  system  is promoted  in  Eastern  India  (specifically in  Odisha).  Direct  Seeded  Rice  (DSR)  as  an alternative to traditional transplanting method has been demonstrated on large scale in the farmers' fields.

Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research,  through  AICRP-Integrated  Farming  Systems (AICRP-IFS) identified alternate cropping systems such as rice-groundnut-greengram, ricefodder  cowpea-fodder  sorghum,  rice-marigold-sweet  corn  and  rice-sweet  corn-vegetables having  better  productivity  and  profitability  for  the  existing  rice-rice  cropping  systems. Identified systems are also shared with the development agencies for popularization among the farmers. A 0.56 ha integrated farming system has also been developed, comprising of crops,  dairy,  fishery,  poultry,  fruits  and  mushroom  for  the  lowland  rice  areas  of  West Godavari district. On-Farm Research Centre of AICRP on Integrated Farming Systems at Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh is involved in demonstration of alternative cropping systems and integrated farming systems in farmer participatory mode.

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