Hike in crop loss compensation sought

 Berhampur: In the cyclone-scarred fields of Ganjam, where paddy stalks have long danced with the monsoon winds, there is now a demand for fair compensation from farmers battling the relentless fury of nature. Rushikulya Rayat Mahasabha (RRM), the region’s frontline farmers’ collective, has demanded a minimum compensation of Rs 40,000 per hectare for crop loss, a figure they say reflects the true cost of survival for thousands of cultivators.

For years, Ganjam’s farmers have endured repeated natural disasters, leaving their fields shattered and livelihoods hanging by a thread. Yet the State government’s current assistance remains Rs 17,000 per hectare for irrigated land and Rs 8,500 for non-irrigated land, a sum the farmers call painfully inadequate.

“Each farmer invests at least Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per hectare for paddy cultivation. With insurance failures compounding the crisis, increasing compensation is no longer a demand. It is a necessity for survival,” said RRM secretary Simanchal Nahak, urging the government to acknowledge the ground reality.

As cyclone ‘Senyar’, named after the Arabic word for ‘lion,’ is brewing over Bay of Bengal, anxiety grips the district. Much of the harvested paddy lies exposed in the fields, vulnerable to the looming downpour. The fear is palpable. One spell of heavy rain could undo an entire year’s toil.

Adding to the distress is the grim performance of the paddy crop insurance scheme. Of the 1,45,953 farmers who enrolled last year, only 41,595 received compensation. The rest waited in vain, even as the company allegedly recorded a net profit of Rs 67 crore, Nahak claimed, a statistic that has further inflamed public sentiment.

For Ganjam’s farmers, the demand is clear and urgent: Fair compensation. Functional insurance. A chance to rebuild. Until then, the fields remain silent witnesses to both nature’s wrath and the resilience of those who till them.