Uttarakhand government has taken fresh steps including free distribution of seeds among them and an increased subsidy on ginger and turmeric seeds. This step has been taken in order to provide relief to rain-hit farmers in the state. These measures which also include 75% subsidy on turmeric and ginger seeds are in addition to the six-month waiver of interest on loans taken by farmers from cooperative banks.
The reliefs announced by the state government apply to both farmers and horticulturists as garden cultivation in the state has also suffered because of unseasonal rains and inclement weather. A revolving fund of Rs 25 crore has been allocated to the agriculture and horticulture department to come to the aid of farmers wherever required.
Further, the state government has demanded similar measures from the Centre, asking them to assess the damage to crops in Uttarakhand on their own and exempt farmers of the state from paying interest on their loans taken from nationalized banks for the next six months.