Central team visits drought-hit farms in Hassan

An inter-ministerial Central team visited drought-hit farms in Hassan taluk on Saturday to assess the impact of the drought on crops in the district.

Headed by Sudam Bag, Deputy Commissioner in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, New Delhi, the team inspected maize fields and interacted with farmers at Dudda, Kittinakere, Gowripura, Chikkakadaluru and neighbouring villages.

At Dudda, the team visited the farm of Javarayya and Dyavamma and collected details of the losses in maize and ragi and the effect on the coconut yield. Members also spoke to Prashanth Kumar, a dairy farmer in the village.

Farmers told the team that the crops had been wiped out due to the failure of the rains. The maize had not formed grain, and what remained in the fields was not even fit to be used as cattle fodder.

Hassan Lok Sabha member Shreyas Patel met the team and apprised its members of the hardship the drought has caused farmers in the district.

The team was accompanied by senior district officials, including Deputy Commissioner K.S. Lathakumari, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Shubham Shukla and the heads of various departments.

The other members of the team were Ashish Pandey, Deputy Adviser, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation; Pradeep Kumar, Under Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution; and Karan Chaudhar, Deputy Director, Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

On Sunday, the team will visit parts of Arasikere and Holenarsipur taluks.