India, Sept. 22 -- After the crop losses on 63,58,300 acres in 30 districts of the state owing to the heavy rainfall over the last four weeks, state agriculture minister Dattatrey Bharne said that the government was amenable to labelling the situation a wet drought. Farmers get more benefits than just compensation for the loss of crops when the government declares a drought-such as a waiver on electricity and crop loan payments and water taxes among other things.

Opposition parties and agricultural experts have been calling for the government to announce a wet drought, and Bharne said that this was being considered receptively. "Farmers too are demanding this," he said. "There are certain norms to declare a wet drought, and CM Devendra F...