TN to complete crop assessment in a week

CHENNAI: The enumeration process to assess crop losses caused by heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu will be completed within a week, paving the way for compensation to farmers whose crops suffered more than 33 per cent damage, according to officials.

A review meeting on crop insurance schemes and the ongoing damage assessment was chaired by Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister MRK Panneerselvam at the State Secretariat on Tuesday. Senior officials from the Agriculture and Revenue departments participated in the meeting, which focused on the extensive losses reported from delta districts and other rain-affected regions.

Continuous downpours in recent weeks have inundated farmlands in several districts, severely affecting standing crops. To monitor and document the damage, district- and Taluk-level inspection teams have been constituted. Officials said compensation would be provided to farmers whose crops have been damaged beyond 33 per cent due to flooding or waterlogging.

The Minister instructed officials to ensure meticulous joint assessments by both Agriculture and Revenue department officers and to submit detailed reports through respective District Collectors. "The enumeration work will be completed within a week, after which the government will finalise compensation and relief measures based on the reports submitted by the district administrations, " officials said.

They also emphasized that farmers covered under the crop insurance scheme would be eligible for additional benefits, and that the government remains committed to safeguarding the livelihoods of cultivators affected by adverse weather conditions.

The Agriculture department has directed field teams to expedite surveys in delta districts such as Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and parts of Cuddalore, where extensive paddy and sugarcane fields have been submerged. Once the verification process is complete, Chief Minister M K Stalin is expected to announce a comprehensive relief package.