India - Insurance firms fix low rates, put farmers in trouble

09.02.2017 552 views
The drought-hit farmers are now a worried lot, upset over the  Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and private insurance companies. According to farmers, the private insurance companies are trying to pay them a low amount as insurance by taking into account the sowing period as the crop loss period instead of the harvesting period. After the monsoon failure and the non-receipt of Cauvery water, farmers in the delta region managed to cultivate crops with groundwater. Despite having  grown the crops, the unprecedented rainfall destroyed it completely. Meanwhile, adding to the worries of the farmers who were expecting insurance for the failed crops, insurance companies were considering only the sowing period as against the harvest time. “With the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the State and Central governments are only paying subsidies up to 26%. Afterwards, if there is any crop loss, the governments point towards the private insurance companies. Now, the private companies are playing games in connection with the insurance amount,” said ‘Cauvery’ Dhanapalan, president, Cauvery Delta Farmers Association. According to him, the insurance companies were considering crop loss as the loss which happened during the period of sowing, whereas the truth was that 90 per cent loss had occurred. “If the insurance companies consider the loss during the sowing period, farmers could get just `6,000 per acre as insurance. But actually the loss happened only during harvest time. If the companies consider the loss at the time of harvesting, they have to provide `26,000 per acre as insurance,” he added. Questioning the way crop assessment was done, Cauvery Delta Farmers Associations office-bearer Guru Gobi Ganesan said, “Nowadays, the officials are assessing the crops on the basis of villages. The place chosen for crop-cutting experiment is most often in well-grown parts. Despite 90 per cent of agricultural lands having become barren with the drought, the officials are assessing the remaining 10 per cent areas where crops have grown well.” Source - http://www.newindianexpress.com
27.08.2026

Crop Insurance Add-Ons Surge as U.S. Farmers Expand Subsidized Coverage Nationwide

U.S. farmers sharply expanded area add-on crop insurance in 2026 after federal subsidies rose to 80%, reshaping coverage and federal costs.

27.08.2026

China grain imports in focus as crop damage hits key producing regions

Extreme heat, heavy rain and flooding across key Chinese farming regions are putting global grain and cotton exporters on alert, as markets assess whether crop damage could increase China’s import needs.

27.08.2026

Philippines - Benguet crop loss worst in Cordillera

The strong monsoon rains that have been pouring in the Cordillera region for nearly three weeks now have cost vegetable-producing Benguet province up to P446.55 million in farm losses, according to data consolidated by the Regional Development Council on Wednesday.

27.08.2026

USA - Bear damage costs Benzie County farmer at least $40,000 across 1,100 acres of corn

Corn growers around northern Michigan are getting a really good look at how this year's crop is shaping up before harvest, but one of them in Benzie County is getting to see a lot more than that.

27.08.2026

India - Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviews summer moong procurement and crop insurance in Madhya Pradesh

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday conducted a virtual review meeting with the Agriculture and Horticulture Ministers of Madhya Pradesh at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.

27.08.2026

India - Demand to withdraw farmer ID mandate for crop procurement

The Andhra Pradesh Koulu Rythu Sangham (AP Tenant Farmers’ Association) has demanded that the State government immediately withdraw its decision to make Farmer ID (Unique Farmer Number) mandatory for selling crops at government procurement centres, stating that the move would severely affect tenant farmers. 

26.08.2026

Lithuania declares nationwide emergency after storm causes heavy damage

Lithuania’s government declared a nationwide “extreme situation” Wednesday following a severe weekend storm that caused extensive damage to crops, livestock and agricultural infrastructure.

26.08.2026

Cameroon Sets 2026 Planting Windows to Help Southern Farmers Reduce Crop Losses

Planting too early or too late can cost farmers part of their harvest. Cameroon’s National Observatory on Climate Change, or ONACC, has now set rainfall and planting windows for the second 2026 farming season across the country’s southern regions, giving producers a tool to reduce weather-related crop losses.