Haryana's contingency crop plan for weak monsoon

Chandigarh, July 1 (IANS) With a weak monsoon likely this year, the Haryana government Tuesday said it has prepared a comprehensive contingency crop plan to tide over the crisis.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the plan has been formulated in consultation with Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar and it has been forwarded to the field staff.

Under the plan, farmers have been advised to grow short-duration varieties of bajra, moong and urad, he said. Free mini-kits of bajra, moong and urad seeds will be distributed among the farmers.

Hooda said the central government should immediately announce bonus of at least Rs.300 per quintal on Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy and Rs.100 per quintal on MSP of other kharif crops to motivate and compensate farmers for the additional expenditure incurred by them on sustaining their crops by using alternate means of irrigation.

He said the state government has urged the central government for an additional allocation of Rs.160.96 crore, including Rs.50.61 crore for seed distribution.

He said a special allocation of Rs.100 crore should also be provided for compensating farmer expenses incurred on deepening of tube-wells due to decline in the water table.

Hooda said consumption of diesel in the farm sector increased due to drought conditions.

"The total number of diesel pump sets used for irrigation being 220,000 units, an additional expenditure of Rs.600 crore due to increased use of diesel by operating diesel pump sets till the end of September 2014, needs to be compensated," Hooda said.