State government has decided to continue the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme during on going kharif season on Maize, Paddy and Potato crops keeping in view of loss to crops due to natural disaster. Besides this, Ginger crop on experimental basis in district Sirmaur will also be included.
A Spokesman of Agriculture Department said that 30th September, 2013 had been fixed as last date for the farmers who were interested to take loan on maize, paddy, potato and ginger and the policy cover was compulsory for getting benefit of insurance scheme for them. However, it was voluntary for non-loanee farmers and they were advised to insure their crops by 31st July, 2013.
He said that adverse climate cause damage to crops leading to economic loss to the farmers adding that aim of this scheme was to reimburse the loss to the farmers occurred due to natural disasters such as fire, lightening, drought, dry spell, storms, hailstorms, cyclone, insects and diseases etc. Insured amount of the crop could be enhanced upto the cost of a fixed produce level of crop on the wish of the farmers and any farmer could insure his crop upto 150 percent of the cost of produce of cultivated area, he added.
He said that insured amount on general coverage for maize crop had been fixed at Rs. 21,000 and maximum at Rs. 31,500 per hectare, paddy at Rs. 16,500 and maximum Rs. 24,700, potato at Rs. 1,21,500 and for the ginger maximum insured amount at Rs. 4,53,500 per hectare. The premium rate on the basis of insured amount had been fixed at 2.50 and 4.25 percent for maize, 2.50 to 4.80 percent for paddy, 2.00 percent for potato and 4.00 percent for ginger crop, besides 50 percent subsidy on premium for small and marginal farmers.
He appealed to the farmers to insure their crops keeping in view the compensation for loss to the crops. The interested farmers could contact nearby Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies, Rural Banks and Commercial Banks and they can also take assistance of Agriculture Extension Officer, Agriculture Development Officer and Agriculture Officer at the block level.
