Govt fails to promote crop insurance scheme

Authorities from the agriculture department in the district have woken up from their slumber and are appealing to farmers in the district to enrol in the insurance scheme by paying the premium for their kharif crops on or before August 31.
Since there was not much awareness on the new insurance scheme among the farmers, particularly in Trichy district, the officials from the agriculture department are striving hard to get good number of farmers enrolled in the scheme.
All crops notified at the revenue village level and firka level can be insured. The premium payable per acre for Kuruvai paddy crop is 537 and the last date is July 31. The premium payable per acre for pulses is 260, 453 for ground nut, 1,128 for cotton and 250 for sunflower and the last date for all kharif crops is August 15.
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) crop insurance scheme will replace the previous National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS). PMFBY has been in operation since 2016. Under this scheme, farmers can insure their crops against pest and disease outbreaks, drought, flood and other natural calamities.

"It also covers losses due to prevented sowing and post-harvest losses with minimum premium. This scheme is subsidised by both the Central and state governments. All loanee farmers are covered under this scheme," said S M Uduman Mohideen, joint director of agriculture.
Non-loanee farmers can also insure their crops by paying a 2 per cent premium on the sum insured. This amount can be paid at all nationalised banks, cooperative credit societies and customer service centres.
Applicants should bring their Aadhaar card and a copy of the chitta for registration. Both land owners and tenant farmers can insure their crops, he added.
The joint director has requested all the farmers in Trichy district to enrol themselves under PMFBY for the kharif season.


Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/govt-fails-to-promote-crop-insurance-scheme/articleshow/59781202.cms