More than 6 lakh farmers directly impacted
Vikas Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 7: Relentless rains and flash floods in Jammu province have unleashed devastation on the agricultural sector, leaving farmers across the province facing unprecedented hardship.
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Official assessments revealed that crops spread over 1.40 lakh hectares of land have been damaged, with more than 90,000 hectares suffering losses above 33%.
As many as six lakh farmers have been directly impacted, with paddy and maize emerging as the worst-hit crops.
The damage has been extensive across districts.
In Udhampur alone, agricultural land spread over 23,688 hectares has been wiped out. This is followed by Jammu (19,441 hectares), Kathua (7,671 hectares), Reasi (12,717 hectares), Doda (10,067 hectares), Kishtwar (13,280 hectares), Ramban (11,124 hectares), Rajouri (3,256 hectares), Samba (320 hectares) and Poonch (216 hectares).
Large parts of the Garkhal, Pargwal, Khour, Jourian, Pallanwala, Makwal and the areas situated in Tawi Island have been buried under thick silt brought in by overflowing rivers and streams.
Meanwhile, in Jammu’s kandi belt, maize farmers in Birpur, Mandal, Purmandal and Dansal reported widespread flattening of fields due to torrential rains and strong winds.
Pulses and fodder crops have also suffered, with nearly 1,000 hectares each of pulses and fodder destroyed, sparking fears of a looming fodder crisis.
“So much rain fell that paddy fields got covered with silt, while in low-lying areas, the waterlogged crops collapsed. The Government must provide compensation to the farmers,” said Manohar Singh of Khour Block.
Shakti Sharma from Pallanwala area echoed the distress, warning of livestock suffering, “Green fodder for cattle has been completely destroyed due to floods. We are badly suffering, our only hope now is Government relief,” he said.
Responding to the crisis, Agriculture Director Jammu, Anil Gupta, confirmed that an initial survey has been conducted and detailed data collection is underway.
He said, “For farmers unregistered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), claims worth Rs 135 crore have been submitted to the SDRF and are expected to be disbursed within a month. However, registered farmers have been urged to file their claims online for quicker compensation.”
Joint teams from the Agriculture and Revenue Departments have been deployed across affected areas to assess damages on a war footing.
“The Agriculture Officers along with their team are working on a war footing to register farmers’ complaints and document the crop loss. To fast-track relief measures and to facilitate the process, four farmer registration and grievance facilitation centres have been opened at Badyal Brahmana,” he informed.
Expressing solidarity with the farming community, Gupta reassured that the Government is committed to ensuring timely relief.
“I have issued instructions to the field functionaries to expedite the completion of crop damage assessment reports and submit them to the concerned authorities so that immediate relief measures to support the farmers can be initiated,” he maintained.
Recent heavy rains and floods in Jammu and Kashmir (September 2025) have devastated the agriculture sector, causing widespread damage to paddy and fruit crops, submerging fields, destroying orchards, and washing away harvest-ready produce, leaving farmers facing ruin and economic hardship,
The crisis now poses not only a financial blow to farmers but also threatens food and fodder security in the region, making swift Government intervention crucial.
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