Farmers hold stir, say Centre’s crop insurance scheme useless

Jaipur: Claiming that the norms of the central government’s crop insurance scheme were such that it did not serve any purpose, farmers in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts held protests on Thursday to demand full compensation from the state government for crops damaged due to rain. “There is prediction for more rainfall till the end of this month. This should be considered as a natural disaster in terms of crop losses. The crop insurance scheme does not serve any purpose. Almost 90 per cent of our crops are damaged and what we are supposed to receive is only 20% compensation (under the scheme),” said Manjeet Singh, a farmer from Sriganganagar.He said that most farmers in northern Rajasthan do not get their crops insured under the scheme compared to those living in the southern part of the state. “The norms are such that the insurance scheme does not benefit the farmers here,” Singh said.There is another reason behind the protests by farmers. They allege that adulterated seeds of BT Cotton were given to them, which resulted in the plants getting infected by pink bollworms, commonly called “gulabi sundi”. “Earlier this worm would attack the plants on its outer layer but now it is found hatching inside the cotton buds. We are still using the traditional BG-2 (hybrid) cotton seeds for farming but now they have become mixed with BT seeds. The crops are not growing on time,” Singh said.Officials of the agriculture department said that the scheme against which the farmers are protesting is of the central government and the state department cannot make any changes to it. “The scheme is technically to cover the crops which are damaged within 14 days of the crop having been cut and kept in the open. The farmers’ demands have to be sorted out by the Centre,” an official said.

Plea in HC on PM crop insurance scheme

The Madras High Court has asked the central and state governments to respond to a plea seeking the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) crop insurance scheme in Tamil Nadu throughout the year. The plea argues that the insurance coverage for kharif crops has not been provided for the past three years, causing significant hardships for farmers. The scheme aims to provide insurance coverage for the whole year, and the petition calls for its extension to ensure its objectives are achieved.

Farmers find it tough to get insurance for loss of crops

Farmers in Rajasthan are facing difficulties in seeking compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna for their damaged crops. The helpline numbers provided by the government are often unavailable or unanswered, and insurance companies are hesitant to recognize the damage. Farmers have suffered significant losses in crops such as cotton and green gram beans. The scheme's norms are seen as unfavorable to farmers, providing coverage for only a fraction of their actual losses.

Farmers to get central aid for crops damaged due to rain

The agricultural department in Jaipur has requested insurance companies to assess the damage caused to crops by recent rainfall in order for farmers to receive compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana scheme. Farmers have been advised to contact insurance companies within 72 hours of the damage occurring. The agriculture minister also highlighted the possibility of damage to Kharif crops due to untimely rains and urged farmers to report any losses promptly. A recent plea in the Madras High Court called for the year-round implementation of the PMFBY scheme in Tamil Nadu, while the Punjab government has credited Rs 48.26 crore to farmers' accounts as crop damage relief. Meanwhile, excessive rainfall in Indore has led to waterlogging in farms, potentially damaging crops such as soybean, cotton, and horticulture crops.