Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has announced a compensation package of ₹291.59 crore from the state disaster response fund (SDRF) to support farmers whose crops were damaged by unseasonal rain during the kharif harvesting period between December 20 and 28.

Chief minister Mohan Majhi said that 6.66 lakh farmers, including 2.61 lakh covered under crop insurance, have reported more than 33% crop loss across 2.26 lakh hectares of land. This follows the government’s announcement a week ago that farmers affected by unseasonal rains would be identified by December 30, irrespective of crop insurance coverage.

Majhi added that the funds, sourced from the SDRF, would be disbursed “starting today through the direct benefit transfer (DBT) system to ensure timely and transparent relief for farmers who have lost their crops, including paddy, vegetables, and betel leaves”.

“The unseasonal rains, which occurred in two phases between December 20 and 28, have caused severe damage. Many fields were flooded, with grains sprouting due to prolonged exposure to water, rendering them unsuitable for sale. Farmers who were close to harvesting their crops have seen their yields destroyed, leading to substantial financial losses. Many had taken loans to finance their crops, and the unexpected rains have left them unable to repay these debts, exacerbating their financial burden,” an official said.

Majhi conducted an extensive tour of Ganjam, Gajapati, and Nayagarh districts to assess the widespread crop damage. Other ministers too visited various rain-affected districts on December 29.

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The announcement of the compensation package comes amid widespread protests by farmers over irregularities in paddy procurement and reports of farmer deaths. Odisha has reported the deaths of seven farmers over the past week—three by suicide and four due to cardiac arrest.