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

09.02.2017 272 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
29.12.2025

Cyprus in state of emergency as foot-and-mouth outbreak in occupied north threatens livestock sector

The Agriculture Ministry has entered a state of emergency mobilisation after reports of Foot and Mouth Disease cases in a cattle unit in occupied Lapathos in the Famagusta district. 

29.12.2025

India - Uttarakhand farmers receive Rs 65.12 Crore insurance; new initiatives announced at state-level farmers' day

A state-level Farmers' Day dedicated to farmers' welfare and economic upliftment was organised in Gauchar (Chamoli). On this occasion, Union Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami transferred an insurance amount of Rs 65.12 crore to 88,000 farmers through DBT under the Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme, the release said.

29.12.2025

USA - Lawmakers launch groundbreaking initiative that could revolutionize agriculture

A new pilot program dedicated to agrivoltaics will soon take place on New Jersey farmland.

29.12.2025

Agricultural cooperatives emerging as climate champions in rural Ghana

In the Assin Central District of Ghana’s Central Region, cocoa farmers gather not just to discuss yields and prices, but to collectively chart survival strategies against a climate that no longer follows familiar patterns.

29.12.2025

USA - New Rule Targets Better Access to Crop Insurance

A final rule recently issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would update the nation’s crop insurance and risk management system, with a strong focus on improving access for farmers and ranchers.

29.12.2025

Nigeria - Kebbi secures $200m, N220bn investments in energy, agriculture

Kebbi State Government has attracted five landmark investments valued at over $200 million and N220 billion in renewable energy, electric mobility and agro-industrial development.

28.12.2025

Pakistan - Agriculture Department Accused of Misappropriating Farmers’ Funds in Panjgur

Panjgur farmers have raised serious allegations against the Agriculture Water Management Department for misappropriating funds intended for local farmers’ welfare. 

28.12.2025

Cuba - Prime Minister Highlights Performance of Urban Agriculture Over Three Decades

Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz recognized the performance of urban agriculture in fostering a food and nutritional culture among the population.