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

09.02.2017 252 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
14.12.2025

USA - USDA launches $700 million pilot to expand regenerative agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday unveiled a $700 million pilot program to help farmers adopt regenerative agriculture practices aimed at improving soil health, water quality and long-term farm productivity while strengthening the nation’s food supply.

14.12.2025

South Africa - Hail and flooding demand critical crop insurance safety net

A single storm can wipe out a season's work. With climate change creating new hail hotspots, as seen across four South African provinces recently, the threat is less predictable than ever. 

14.12.2025

Malaysia - Kelantan’s flood-hit paddy farmers to receive compensation after RM2.3m crop losses

Farmers under the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (Kada) recorded losses exceeding RM2.3 million following recent northeast monsoon floods in the state.

14.12.2025

U.S. company Farm Tech meets NDA in Benghazi to discuss 1,000 pivot irrigation project to bolster Libya’s food security

Libya’s eastern-based National Development Agency (NDA) reported yesterday that its Director General received a delegation from US company Farm Tech at his office in Benghazi.

14.12.2025

Ecuadorian papaya production was nearly wiped out by the Papaya ringspot virus

The collapse of Ecuadorian papaya exports was not due to a market adjustment but rather a sanitary crisis. 

14.12.2025

French farmers protest over compulsory cattle culls amid disease outbreak

French farmers stepped up their campaign against agricultural policy and animal health rules this week, with protests in south-western France highlighting growing anger over the compulsory slaughter of cattle following outbreaks of lumpy skin disease.

04.12.2025

EU reaches agreement on use of new genomic techniques in agriculture

The European Parliament and EU Member States have reached a political agreement on the use of “new genomic techniques” (NGTs) in the agri-food sector, the Danish presidency of the council confirmed on Thursday. The deal paves the way for a new regulatory framework governing how these technologies may be used to develop more resilient and sustainable plant varieties.

04.12.2025

Vietnam targets 400 000 ha in winter crop plan

Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment reports that the northern region aims to plant 400,000–410,000 hectares of winter crops, with an estimated output of 4.8–5 million tonnes.