Good news for farmers in Maharashtra! Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has announced that compensation will be deposited into farmers’ accounts to cover losses incurred due to recent heavy rains and floods in the state.
Mumbai: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has delivered good news to farmers in Maharashtra. In response to the crop damage caused by heavy monsoon rains and floods, he assured on Tuesday (December 9th) that financial assistance will be provided to farmers based on the assessment of the damage. He provided this information in response to a question raised by Shiv Sena’s Bhumare S. Aasaram during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.
Chouhan explained that the damage assessment will be conducted through the ‘Crop Cutting Experiment’ and, if the state has adopted a weather-based crop insurance scheme, funds will be deposited into farmers’ accounts accordingly.
Minister’s Announcement in Lok Sabha
During the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (December 9th), in response to a question posed by Shiv Sena MP Bhumare S. Aasaram, Chouhan clarified that the assessment would be conducted scientifically. He stated that the damage will be investigated through the ‘Crop Cutting Experiment’. The Minister said,
“If the state has adopted a weather-based crop insurance scheme, compensation will be sent to farmers’ accounts accordingly. It will be ensured that affected farmers receive relief funds in a timely manner.”
The Union Minister also stated that the Maharashtra government has submitted a report on the damage assessment to the central government. Based on this, the process of allocating funds to the state will be initiated. He added,
“The state government is currently providing initial relief for the losses incurred, and the central government will also provide the necessary funds under NDRF.”
Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured farmers that the central and state governments will work together to assist all affected farmers. He stated that farmers will not only benefit from the crop insurance scheme but will also receive additional funds through NDRF to help them overcome the economic crisis.
Record Production and Crop Insurance
The Agriculture Minister stated that record production of crops was achieved in Maharashtra during 2024-25, but the excessive rains and floods have impacted the farmers’ efforts. He said, “The central government is committed to providing direct benefits to farmers under the crop insurance scheme. This scheme protects farmers from losses caused by natural disasters and pest infestations.”
Responding to a supplementary question from Congress MP Shreyas M. Patel, Chouhan explained that assistance is being provided to farmers in other states as well. He cited an example from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, where a coconut crop was affected due to pests. The Minister stated that a team of experts was sent to assess the damage. If the cause of crop loss is due to pesticides or other human factors, the center will compensate for it.
