NDA government's flagship crop insurance scheme is losing traction with farmers
LEELADHAR SINGH, a farmer from Madhya Pradesh’s Hoshangabad district, is losing patience. Since 2016, whenever he applies for crop loan, the bank deducts a part of the amount as premium for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) before disbursing it. “They say the mandatory provision would insure me against crop losses. I have not received any money despite facing losses in the past four successive cropping seasons,” he says.
Under PMFBY, launched in April 2016, the government appoints an insurance company, selected through bidding, to insure farmers in a cluster of districts against crop losses due to weather events, pest attacks or fire. The insurer charges the premium on an actuarial rate (an estimate of the expected value of future loss). Farmers under PMFBY pay a fixed 2 per cent of the sum insured for kharif crops and 1.5 per cent for rabi crops. The difference between the actuarial premium rate and the rate of insurance payable by farmers is shared equally by the state and Union governments (see ‘Has crop insurance worked for the farmers’, Down To Earth, 1-15 August, 2017). Singh says he has to shell out almost ₹ 6,000 every crop season as PMFBY premium. “Given an option, I would like to opt out of it,” he adds.
Far away from Hoshangabad, Chamarasa Mali Patil, a non-lonee farmer and president of the Karnataka State Farmers’ Association, has already stopped subscribing to the scheme. “I was excited when I heard about it and invested ₹ 6,000 as premium in kharif 2016. A prolonged dry season ruined my gram and barley crops. My claims are yet to be honoured,” he says.
Denne historien er fra July 16, 2018-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 16, 2018-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara