The district’s agriculture department has sought a detailed survey report from private insurance companies to assess crop loss caused by unseasonal rains over the past two weeks, officials said on Sunday, following complaints from farmers across Sohna, Pataudi, Farrukh Nagar and Gurugram’s outskirts.

According to officials, the agriculture department has been conducting crop-cutting experiments and field visits to estimate total seasonal produce, while empanelled private insurers have been tasked with assessing the extent of yield losses and verifying farmers’ claims for compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

Clarifying concerns over outsourcing, officials said the process has not been outsourced. Under PMFBY, loss assessment is carried out jointly by the insurance companies and the agriculture department, they added.

They explained that farmers register complaints online, following which the department directs insurers to carry out on-ground surveys to assess damage and determine compensation eligibility. Officials added that two letters have been issued in the past two weeks to expedite the process.

Farmers reported damage to Rabi crops during the ongoing harvesting season, which began earlier this week. A senior agriculture department official, requesting anonymity, said the extent of damage to wheat and mustard is yet to be finalised, but preliminary estimates indicate losses of 20% to 40%. “In some villages, rain showers up to 15mm were recorded, leading to a large number of farmers seeking compensation,” the official said.

Officials said district-wide estimates of total crop loss or affected acreage will be determined after the survey findings are compiled. The department said a list of complaints from farmers seeking crop insurance claims is being compiled. However, farmers alleged delays in on-ground assessment. “80% of the mustard harvest in our village has suffered moisture damage and seed shattering. Despite an online complaint registered on March 22, a week has passed since and no surveyor has arrived,” said Parveen Chhilarki, 40, a farmer from a Gurugram-Rewari border village.

Similar losses were reported from other areas. Radhe Shyam, 48, former village head of Nurgarh, said 30-40% of the wheat crop has been damaged in the village, which has a population of around 3,500 and is largely dependent on agriculture. “A similar situation has arrived due to unseasonal rains at several villages in Farrukh Nagar block as well,” said Lalit Rathi, 38, a farmer from Khandewla.

Anil Tanwar, deputy director of the agriculture department, said directions have been issued to the compensatory agency to carry out surveys. “Those who suffered crop loss will be provided the due compensation expeditiously. Advisories have been issued to farmers to take precautionary measures to minimise crop loss due to unseasonal rains,” Tanwar said.

Officials said that beyond insurance claims, compensation under the PMFBY is calculated using a fixed yield-based formula, which factors in the crop type and the extent of losses confirmed through insurer-led surveys.

Source - https://www.msn.com