A recent change in policy for crop insurance is providing a much needed relief for grape growers in Karnataka, India. The new policy changes crop coverage due to weather related losses, which have recently affected many farmers in the area. According to the amendment, the insurance company would consider the gram panchayat as a base area for assessing the damage, not the taluk. Farmers are also happy to see a smaller premium than usual on the insurance. Normally they would have to pay a much higher premium but this year the number is 5%. The Union government is planning to shoulder the remaining costs on the farmers' behalf.  One farmer said that, till last year, grape farmers had to pay nearly Rs. 25,000 an acre as insurance, but from this year it will be around Rs. 9,000 for around 2.47 acres. He also stated that of the 21,000 hectares in the State under grape cultivation, over 10,000 hectares of land is in Vijayapura. “We hope the new scheme will help grape farmers who have had to grapple with natural calamities for years in the drought-prone north Karnataka region," Source - thehindu.com