Floods reduce JK’s rice production by 20 %
Crops worth ` 3,674 crore destroyed in Kashmir
The devastating floods in September last year have badly hit the production of rice in Jammu and Kashmir with annual produce for 2014-15 reduced to 4548 lakh quintals in comparison to 5567 lakh quintals in the previous year, economic survey says.
“Also the area under rice crop has come down from 271 lakh hectares in 2013-14 to 265 lakh hectares during 2014-15,” the survey report states, adding that due to the floods overall food production in Jammu and Kashmir has also reduced to 17.42 lakh MT as against previous year’s production of 20.65 lakh MT.
“The shortfall to meet the food requirements is met by Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution department,” the report says.
It adds that Jammu and Kashmir has a total population of 1.254 crore with decadal growth rate of 23.71 percent at the state level (rural 19.77 percent and urban 35.66 percent).
“To meet the ever increasing demand for food grains, agriculture department, universities and other stakeholders need to make concerted efforts to accept the challenge by adopting various interventions/new techniques of production and addressing the rain fed areas etc. by way of making huge investments to increase food production to bridge the gaps.”
The devastating floods in September have crumbled the agriculture sector in Jammu and Kashmir. The State Government has estimated that crops worth Rs 3,674 crore, spread over three lakh hectares of land, were destroyed by floods in Kashmir province.
According to an assessment carried out by the Directorate of Agriculture Kashmir, Pulwama district has suffered the maximum damage to agriculture crop. The district suffered Rs 1104 crore losses of the agriculture crop spread over 32100 hectares of land.
Budgam district in Central Kashmir was also hit badly as crops spread over 51,930 hectares of land were destroyed by the floods. The estimated loss to the crops in Budgam is worth Rs 552 crore.
Islamabad (Anantnag) district in South Kashmir has suffered losses amounting to Rs 374 crore to agriculture crops spread over 44081 hectares.
In North Kashmir district of Bandipora, agriculture losses have been estimated at Rs 161.58 crore spread over 17516 hectares of land.
Baramulla district in North Kashmir also suffered losses to crops to the tune of Rs 386 crore spread over 8571 hectares of land.
Ganderbal district in Central Kashmir suffered losses to the tune of Rs 154.66 crore spread over 16323 hectares of land.
Kulgam district in South Kashmir, where from the floods started damaging crops and residential houses, suffered losses to the tune of Rs 254.12 crore spread over 26396 hectares of land.
Kupwara district in North Kashmir was also a major sufferer as crops worth Rs 447 crore spread over 39900 hectares were destroyed.
Shopian district has suffered agriculture losses amounting to Rs 66 crore spread over 6944 hectares of land.
Srinagar district suffered losses to agriculture to the tune of Rs 137.56 spread over 5388 hectares.
Kargil district in Ladakh region suffered agriculture losses worth Rs 34.44 crore spread over 11454 hectares of land.
