Hailstorms severely damage crops in Jharkhand

Hailstorms have severely damaged crops in Jharkhand, causing major problems for farmers. Many farmers in the region are dealing with heavy financial losses after months of hard work were destroyed in just a few days. This situation is particularly tough for small-scale farmers who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. A recent visit to Boreya, near Ranchi, showed how widespread the destruction is. Farmers there are worried about their future. Shilpi Neha Tirkey, the state agriculture minister, has promised compensation for the affected farmers. However, many farmers doubt that they will receive help quickly or fairly, due to past failures in government support. Local farmer Dashmi Devi spoke about her loss, saying that almost three months of effort went to waste in just two days. She lost about one quintal of tomatoes and several quintals of cabbages. Another farmer, Giridhar Mahto, shared his concern as well. He grows okra, cabbage, and tomatoes and pointed out how the rain impacted their sales. Mahto expressed skepticism about getting the promised compensation, based on earlier unfulfilled government promises. In response to the situation, Minister Tirkey directed local officials to assess crop damage quickly. She has asked farmers to submit documents regarding their losses to officials. The agriculture department is working on a full assessment of the damage, which will help in deciding how to distribute compensation.