Farmers in Gujarat face massive losses every monsoon season. This year also farmers have suffered losses due to heavy rains following the Biparjoy Cyclone and heavy rains across the state in the last week.

As the situation demands, the Gujarat government is seriously considering reintroducing the crop insurance policy, which was discontinued years ago, especially given that unseasonal rain and crop damage have increased the state's financial liability.

Gujarat opposition Congress on Monday also, asked that the BJP administration announce a "generous" compensation plan for farmers in the Ghed region of Porbandar and Junagadh districts who incurred losses due to heavy rains.

Gujarat Congress President Shakti Sinh Gohil said in a statement. “Farmers of Ghed region have suffered a huge loss due to waterlogging in their fields following heavy rains. Moreover, seeds sown in the fields and fertile soil have been washed away. We demand that the government announce a generous compensation package for the affected farmers and pay cash doles to affected people,”

It is crucial to note that this is not the first time Gujarat farmers’ Crops have been damaged by Cyclone Biparjoy; Gujarat has historically suffered agricultural devastation due to unseasonal rainfall or storms for a long. Considering this issue seriously, the government wants to reduce its financial responsibility by reintroducing its crop insurance policy,

Highly placed sources in the government said on condition of anonymity that “right now the government is open for the right crop insurance policy for a program that accepts to all stakeholders be it insurance companies, or farmer or even the state government, it is in consultations with private players as well as farmer associations,”

Since last year, the state government has had to give crop damage compensation to farmers due to unseasonal rains, and it has also reverberated its state disaster fund policy, under which it has increased the compensation amount. Now, the frequency of unseasonal rain can be a burden as the government has to
roll out compensation every time, so it is up to whether to introduce ‘Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojna’, or to follow a module like Bihar, West Bengal, or other states which have their own crop insurance policy.

According to sources, the government will shortly work out a consistent plan to start the crop insurance program. Gujarat Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel, on the other hand, refused to comment.

Source - https://www.newindianexpress.com