Agri officials push crop insurance for delta farmers

A contribution of just Rs 375 as premium per acre under the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) will enable the farmers to avail insurance cover aga inst crop loss due to natural calamities. The actual premium per acre is Rs 3,350. The state and Centre would bear the remaining sum as a subsidy to the farmers, said R Chandrasekar, Joint Director of Agriculture, Tiruchy. 

“Apart from yield loss, the new scheme will cover post-harvest losses also. It will provide farm level assessment for localised calamities including hailstorms, unseasonal rains, landslides and inundation,” he said. The sum assured for the premium is Rs 25,000 per acre. 

For those farmers who have taken a loan from Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies and the banks the premium amount have already been deducted. In a bid to cover the rest of the farmers who were left out, the Agricultural department has started a drive to create awareness about the insurance scheme. They have set a deadline of November 30 to achieve full enrolment.

“Farmers who have not availed any loans, but have already gone ahead with the planting of nurseries can avail the insurance,” said the Joint Director.

The officials have been visiting the farmers personally and explaining the salient features of the scheme. “So far, we have covered 77 ha land under the crop insurance scheme from farmers who have not availed any loan,” Chandrasekar said. 

The farmers can approach the taluk agricultural officers and submit their filled in applications and avail the scheme by paying the premium share, he added.