Farmers across the state have made insuranceclaims worth Rs 862 crore against the crop losses suffered during the rabi season that ended in March this year. Severe drought last year damaged large tracts of crops. This payout will be the highest since 1999. Officials said the number, though the highest in so many years, is just the tip of the iceberg of losses as the indemnity level for the scheme was 60%, which means farmers who incur losses in more than 60% of the area will only be paid up to 60%. A small section of farmers was not covered under the scheme, so their losses will be unaccounted for.The amount of claims should only be treated as an indicator of the severity of distress the agriculture sector is in due to drought, said the official. Farmers across Maharashtra have made insurance claims worth Rs 862 crore against crop losses suffered during the rabi season. This payout will be the highest since 1999. The National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) is a Central scheme under which premium is fixed depending on the crop that is being insured. Only a small percentage of the total premium is paid by the farmer; the remaining is pooled in by the state and the Centre. "The claims against losses for the last season were exceptionally high as the agriculture sector was going through a low period due to the fourth consecutive year of drought," said a senior official. Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com