An intense hailstorm affected at least 15 Indian districts earlier this week. After this, more unseasonable rains damaged the standing crops of many farmers in those same regions. The state government on Wednesday announced 2 billion rupees (25 mln euros) compensation for crop loss caused due to the hailstorm in parts of the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. Although details of crop loss from 10 more districts are still pending, the government has written to the Centre to provide financial help under the National Disaster Relief Funds. The current damage report says some 1,219 villages were affected and crop loss due to the storm is spread across 127,000 hectares. The report was based on the hailstorm impact caused on the first day. Subsequent hailstorms over the next two days affected 60,000 hectares. Reports are awaited from the Buldhana, Nanded, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur and Wardha districts, where assessments are still going on. Agriculture Minister Pandurang Phundkar said: “The compensation to farmers would be given as per NDRF norms for crops and fruits. The farmers who have weather-based crop insurance would get ₹23,300 (€ 290) per hectare for sweet lime and oranges, ₹40,000 (€ 500) per hectare for banana, ₹36,700 (€ 460) per hectare for mango and ₹20,000 (€ 250) per hectare for lemon. Farmers who don’t have insurance would also get compensation based on NDRF norms of ₹18,000 (€ 225) per hectare.” Source - http://www.freshplaza.com