The minister said he would be calling on Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar next week in Delhi to seek Central aid to compensate crop loss of farmers. Besides, he would also be pressing for withdrawal of ban imposed on paddy export from the state, he said.
The state had expected good harvest during this Khariff season in the wake of earlier copious rains as 98.9 per cent of the 74 lakh hectares of cultivable land had come under sowing, Katti told the press here.
However, in the last three weeks, parts of Chitradurga, Kodagu, Haveri, Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Mandya, Hassan, Gadag, Belgaum, Chikkaballapur, Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur, Bijapur and Bagalkot experienced torrential downpour that destroyed standing crops.
It is now expected that the food grain production, which was targetted at 123 lakh metric tons during Khariff may be reduced by at least 20 per cent and the survey to assess the crops loss is on, Katti said.
The Centre is adopting step-motherly treatment on the issue of export ban, he charged while accusing the Union Government of taking a decision to allow rice export from Punjab, much before the harvesting season had commenced there.
The state's finance won't permit granting of compensation to farmers for crop loss and the Centre has to step in to help, he said when asked about the state government initiative in this regard