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Recent rainfall has brought relief to strawberry cultivators in Udhampur, who were earlier facing tough times due to the dry spell.
A farmer Rashpal Singh said, "We got huge relief due to the rains 3 to 4 days ago. The government gives subsidies on time. The government gives Rs 13000 per kanal and Rs 26000 for 2 kanal. The dry spells destroyed 400-500 of my strawberry crops this year. Wheat cultivation was also affected due to the dry spell. Now there is hope, and at least 70 percent yield can be expected." Chief Horticulture Officer Brij Vallav Gupta said that they have distributed subsidies to farmers for an area of 5 hectares. Brij Vallav Gupta said, "We have given subsidies to people for strawberries in which we give Rs 13,000 per kanal and they spend Rs 26,000 per kanal. Due to ample rainfall, all crops, especially strawberries, will thrive." He said that last year it had rained in September and farmers got relief after four and half months. "Strawberry is a crop which requires water at every step. Farmers had assured irrigation, but the assured sources were getting depleted and have now revived due to rainfall. Farmers are earning Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 per canal for strawberry cultivation. There are chances of rainfall next week as well," he said. After facing a prolonged dry spell, farmers in the Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir have got relief with the arrival of rain. The farmers had been struggling with harsh conditions, uncertain about the fate of their crops, given the four-and-a-half-month dry spell. Sanjeev Kumar, a farmer from Debrah village in Udhampur, said that the crops would have been destroyed if it had not rained. Farmers have been dealing with dried-out fields and withering crops due to the lack of water. The recent rains have infused them with a new hope for their crops, promising better harvests. (ANI)
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