Kottayam: The government has decided to increase the compensation for crop damage caused by wild animals. The government has accepted the recommendation of the Forest Department in this regard. A committee of experts will soon be formed to determine the exact amount. The compensation was last revised in 2018.

The compensation for killing and burying wild boars, which cause damage to crops, will also be increased. The recommendation is to raise the fee for a licensee to ₹1500 and the burial fee to ₹2000. Currently, the fee for a licensee is ₹1000, and there is no burial fee.

The compensation for crop damage was first introduced by the government in 2015. The first revision took place within three years. However, the rates have remained unchanged for the past seven years. There is an indication that the compensation may increase by 35%. Farmers' organizations have expressed concerns that compensation for many crops is too low.

Minister A.K. Saseendran stated that the Forest Department understood the farmers' demands and that the issue had been discussed with the Chief Minister and approved. He also mentioned that 5000 wild boars that had caused crop damage had already been killed. Additionally, he noted that if the state's recommendation to remove the wild boar from the list of protected species receives approval from the central government, it would provide relief.

Existing compensation rates (for major crops):

  • Rice: ₹11,000 per hectare
  • Coconut (fruiting): ₹770
  • Non-fruiting coconut: ₹385
  • Rubber (cut): ₹330
  • Rubber (uncut): ₹220
  • Cashew: ₹165
  • Arecanut: ₹165
  • Cocoa: ₹110
  • Coffee: ₹110
  • Pepper: ₹83
  • Ginger: ₹165 per 10 cents
  • Turmeric: ₹132 per 10 cents
  • Tapioca: ₹165 per 10 cents
  • Jackfruit: ₹825 per 10 cents