New Delhi : Farmers have lost more than 100 lakh tonnes of rabi crops, valued over Rs 20,000 crore, due to unseasonal rainfall and hailstorm in February-April this year, the CSE said in a report. As a result, India may have to import 10 lakh tonnes of wheat in the current year as about 68.2 lakh tonnes were damaged due to unseasonal rainfall in the last rabi season, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said. In February-April 2015, standing crops on 182.38 lakh hectares or 29.61% of the entire rabi sown area were affected. 67% of this was wheat crop.
As per the CSE estimates, 40 per cent of the wheat cultivated area, 14 per cent of area under pulses and oil seeds, and four per cent of coarse cereals were affected by rain and hailstorm.
The report also emphasised that Indian farmers are reeling under extreme weather events and need protective measures to ensure that Country’s largest occupational sector, agriculture, does not decline further.
