India - Govt committed to weather- based crop insurance scheme for apple crop; awaiting GoI nod

24.09.2026 17 views

Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Javid Ahmad Dar on Wednesday said that the Government of Jammu & Kashmir is fully committed to implementation of the Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) to bring apple under insurance cover.

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Minister said that all codal formalities were completed for roll- out of the schme.

He, however added that as per communication from the Government of India regarding revision of WBCIS norms for States and UTs, the scheme has been put on hold.

“An Advisory Committee was constituted by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India for this purpose. As far as our information goes, the Committee has submitted its report. We are now awaiting final communication and further directions from the Government of India,” the Minister added.

He assured that once the GoI issues revised guidelines, the scheme will be rolled out immediately for the benefit of the fruit growers in J&K—(KNO).

 

Source - https://thekashmirimages.com

24.09.2026

India - Horticulture supports 35 lakh people, contributes 10pc to J&K GDP

Horticulture continues to remain a key pillar of Jammu and Kashmir's economy, with around 35 lakh people, including nearly 7.5 lakh families, directly or indirectly dependent on the sector, the government informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

24.09.2026

Canada - P.E.I. agriculture insurance payouts totalled $110 million for 2025 drought

Drought conditions in the summer of 2025 made for a punishing year for P.E.I. farmers, so much so that claims paid out under a provincial agriculture insurance program added up to $111 million.

24.09.2026

Severe weather caused CHF60m Swiss crop damage

The summer drought and hail storms caused CHF59.2 million in crop damage, according to agricultural insurer Hagel Schweiz. This is almost three times as much damage as last summer.

24.09.2026

USA - US$7.5 million project develops multi-task orchard robots

A Cornell-led research project is developing autonomous orchard robots for pollination, fruit thinning, apple harvesting, and inter-row weeding. 

24.09.2026

Australia trials laser-based soil sensing for precision fertiliser use

A new technology promises to give growers pinpoint accuracy when applying fertiliser, which could bring down costs, increase efficiencies and enable better decisions within tight seasonal windows.

23.09.2026

India - Maharashtra Government Prepares to Declare 100% Drought Amid Severe Crop Losses

The Maharashtra government is set to officially declare a 100% drought by the end of September as prolonged dry spells devastate Kharif crops across 20 districts, prompting immediate relief measures and demands for federal assistance.

23.09.2026

Canada - OFA submission regarding fish and wildlife modernization and proposed permit changes

OFA has provided comments to the Ministry of Natural Resources for their consultation on proposed changes to streamline natural resource permits: fish and wildlife modernization. 

23.09.2026

India - Animal Husbandry Minister suggests steps to keep livestock safe

Shift animals to elevated locations in advance and maintain adequate stock of dry fodder, Atchannaidu tells cattle-rearers; he also advises them to make use of government facilities such as livestock insurance, subsidised feed and fodder, and Gokulams.