Mumbai, July 10 (IANS) Climate change is causing damage to orchards and a crop cover scheme will be implemented to compensate for the damage to orchards, announced Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate in the state assembly during discussion on the calling attention motion moved by Rohit Patil regarding the impact of unseasonal rains on grape crops.

Members Hemant Ogle and Abhijit Patil participated in the discussion. He also said that a decision has been taken to set up a ‘weather station’ in every village to provide farmers with quick access to weather information.

Minister Kokate said that grape farmers are facing a crisis as climate change is affecting orchards. Continuous monitoring and advice are being provided through the National Grape Research Centre, Pune, to reduce the impact of climate change on vineyards. A meeting will be organised soon to provide necessary facilities to grape farmers, and representatives of insurance companies will also be invited.

“The state has 1,23,424 hectares of area under the grape crop with a production of 24,89,268 MT. Grape crop is produced in large quantities in Nashik, Sangli, Solapur, Ahilyanagar and Dharashiv districts. Panchnamas have been done for the vineyards damaged due to unseasonal rains, and the farmers have been helped as per the government norms. Also, the grape orchard farmers who have suffered losses due to unseasonal rains and whose Panchnamas have been done will be given help as per the government norms,” said the minister.

Meanwhile, the industry minister, Uday Samant, said that the government will instruct the state-run City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to provide houses that are affordable for the common man.

He was replying to a calling attention motion made by Shashikant Shinde in the state council in this regard.

“CIDCO is not a profit-making organisation. Affordable housing for the common man is the concept of the houses being built by CIDCO. Therefore, a meeting will be held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde regarding the increased prices and other problems as per CIDCO’s advertisement. Till this meeting, no one who has paid as per the previous advertisement will be deprived of getting a house,” said the minister.

–IANS

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