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Gandhinagar, Nov 11 (IANS) The Gujarat government has announced an equitable compensation of Rs 22,000 per hectare for both irrigated and non-irrigated crops in the five rain-affected districts of Vav-Tharad, Patan, Kutch, Panchmahal and Junagadh. The step, taken under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, comes after detailed representations by Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, who stressed the extent of crop damage in these areas and urged for more assistance to the affected farmers. State agriculture minister Jitu Vaghani said the decision ensures equal support for all farmers regardless of the type of crop, with a maximum limit of two hectares per farmer. The state’s farm relief package portal has opened for 15 days from Tuesday, allowing farmers to apply through their village centres. The relief measure comes after heavy rains between August and September caused widespread damage to standing crops in several districts. After immediate field survey, the state government announced a relief package of Rs 947 crore for the affected farmers, under which those with more than 33 per cent crop loss were eligible for assistance as per State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms. Earlier, non-irrigated crops were to get Rs 12,000 per hectare, irrigated Rs 22,000 and perennial crops Rs 27,500 per hectare, but the latest decision now brings equal compensation for irrigated and non-irrigated crops. Additionally, farmers in Vav-Tharad and Patan, where Rabi season sowing has not been possible due to waterlogging, will get special assistance of Rs 20,000 per hectare (up to two hectares). According to the latest available data, about 53.19 lakh farmers were registered in the state of Gujarat in the 2015-16 agricultural census, of which about 20.17 lakh were marginal farmers, 16.15 lakh small farmers, 11.50 lakh semi-medium farmers, 4.95 lakh medium farmers and 39,893 large farmers. Additionally, other sources state that about 40.37 lakh farmer families are engaged in agricultural activities in the state. –IANS Janvi/SVN