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

09.02.2017 606 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
11.10.2026

India - Tripura JICA Project, ARDD Conduct Training on Scientific Pig Rearing in Khowai

A two-day capacity-building programme on scientific pig rearing,  livestock health management and livestock insurance was organised at the Chakmaghat Beat Meeting Hall in Khowai on October 7–8 under the Tripura Sustainable Catchment Forest Management Project (SCATFORM), a JICA-assisted initiative of the Forest Department, in collaboration with the Animal Resources Development Department (ARDD).

11.10.2026

Philippines - Iloilo Province sets P82-M emergency fund for water shortages, crop losses

The Iloilo Provincial Government is preparing for a potentially prolonged nine-month drought emergency extending until June 2027, with an P82-million quick response fund on standby as authorities brace for severe water shortages, agricultural losses and other threats from a forecast super El Niño.

11.10.2026

NCAM boss seeks more equipment to curb Nigeria’s post-harvest losses

The Executive Director, National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Julius Oluwamuyiwa Oloro, has called for increased development and fabrication of agricultural preservation equipment to reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen Nigeria’s food security.

11.10.2026

Crop nutrient loss threatens public health in Bangladesh

Declining nutritional quality of food crops, combined with soil nutrient depletion and limited dietary diversity, is emerging as a growing threat to public health in Bangladesh and across the world, with millions of people facing hidden hunger despite consuming sufficient calories.

11.10.2026

Brazil launches El Niño climate risk platform for agriculture

Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) has launched an information platform covering El Niño and its potential impacts on agriculture. Developed with the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet), the platform combines climate data, risk management tools, and technical guidance for the agricultural sector.

11.10.2026

Flooding destroys over 80% of potato crop on Greece's Crete

Five consecutive days of heavy rain and thunderstorms have caused flooding, landslides, and agricultural damage across Crete, Greece, with potato and vegetable crops among those affected.

07.10.2026

India - Goa paddy crop hit by rainfall deficit, around 20 hectares affected

Goa’s paddy crop has been affected by deficient monsoon rainfall, with preliminary reports estimating damage to around 20 hectares of cultivated fields across the state.

07.10.2026

Post-Harvest Loss: How NASENI’s Local Innovations Are Safeguarding Nigeria’s Agricultural Yields

Every year, Nigerian farmers face a quiet tragedy that unfolds long after seeds are sown and crops are nurtured. Beneath the scorching sun, vast fields produce abundance, only for a staggering percentage of this yield to rot in transit, spoil in sub-optimal storage, or decay due to lack of immediate processing infrastructure.