Yavatmal district will receive the highest amount of crop insurance fund in the state for 2013-14, with only two of its tehsils getting the benefit, officials said today.

Only two tehsils- Umarkhed and Mahagaon, out of the 16 tehsils in the district, will get a sum of Rs 34.68 crore, of the total Rs 88 crore sanctioned as for Maharashtra in 2013-14 as crop insurance benefit, District Agriculture Superintending Officer Dattatraya Gaikwad said here.

"This year, only two tehsils- Umarkhed and Mahagaon will be benefited under crop insurance scheme. The benefit was calculated on the basis of productivity in the respective regions, and production of cotton and soybean in the remaining 12 tehsils was comparatively better, hence insurance benefit was not given to the farmers in other tehsils," he said.

Gaikwad further said that the volatile crops like soyabean cultivating farmers in the two tehsils will get Rs 29.68 crore as crop insurance.

District Collector Ashwin Mudgal confirmed that the district has topped in the state with regard to crop insurance benefits.

"The 70 per cent of the premium for cotton is borne by the state government while 50 per cent of the premium for other crops is also borne by the government against the small land holders," Mudgal said.

Source - http://www.business-standard.com/