The Odisha government has identified 10 crops, which will be covered under the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) for 2015 crop season.

The crops notified to be covered under the NAIS include paddy, maize, groundnut, Niger, red gram, cotton, jute, turmeric, ginger and banana.

While farmers who have taken loan for producing notified crops in identified areas will compulsorily be insured, all farmers growing insurable crops can opt for the scheme. For loanee farmers, the sum insured will be cent per cent of the crop loan at normal premium rate. There is also option to cover up to 150 per cent of the average yield. The seasonality discipline for crops to be insured in respect of loanee farmers will be April to September this year.Gram panchayats, notified area council and municipalities have been taken as unit for insurance for paddy. For rest of the crop, blocks will be unit area.

Since paddy is grown all over the State, all the 30 districts have been identified as insurance coverage area. Major crops like groundnuts and maize will be insured in 15 and 10 districts respectively. As far as crops such as Niger, cotton, red grams, jute, turmeric, ginger and banana are concerned, farmers in selected blocks in some district could take advantage of the scheme. The notification says indemnity claim will be settled only on the basis of yield data furnished by the State government in cooperation department based on requisite number of crop cutting experiments conducted under general crop estimation surveys.

Source - http://www.thehindu.com