India - Rain-hit Haryana farmers unlikely to get insurance

29.07.2019 180 views
Heavy rainfall this past week has destroyed recently planted rice crops in many villages in Ambala, Karnal and Kurukshetra districts in Haryana, leading to the affected farmers clamouring for claims under the crop insurance scheme. Even though the inundation caused by heavy rains, which lasted more than a week, resulted in rotting of freshly transplanted rice seedlings, farmers are unlikely to get any insurance benefit as the revised operational guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana excluded inundation from claims for crops such as rice, sugarcane and jute.

Premium payment

Farmers in Haryana have to pay 630 per acre — which is 2 per cent of the total premium — for insuring their 2019 kharif rice crop, with the State and Central governments paying the rest 98 per cent of the premium. The cut-off date forpayment in Haryana is July 31. “Farmers in many villages in Pehowa tehsil in Kurukshetra district lost freshly planted rice crop as water remained in the field for nearly 8-9 days. Crops in thousands of acres have been destroyed,” said Simran Sandhu, a 27-year-old farmer from Mohanpur village, about 10 kms from Pehowa town. His crop in four acres out of the total of 15 acres was destroyed in the waterlogging.

Rice seedlings

Kulwant Singh, a 55-year-old farmer who owns the farm next to Sandhu’s, lost the crop in three acres of land. They said replanting is the only choice left now. “We have spent around 15,000-20,000 per acre for buying rice seedlings. Now, we have to buy them all over again for replanting. The suppliers have already increased the price as they smell an opportunity to make a profit,” Sandhu said. Rajinder Singh, a former agricultural extension officer in Karnal district, said while freshly transplanted rice crop can withstand waterlogging for 3-4 days, they start to rot if the standing water stays for longer. While he was not aware of this particular incident, there have been complaints of inundation coming from many villages in his district. This is particularly because developmental works, redevelopment and widening of roads block natural flow of water after heavy precipitation, he said. State Agriculture Department officials said many areas in the State witnessed a heavy rainfall recently. When asked whether they have received any complaints regarding the crop destruction, a senior official said farmers, whose rice crop has been destroyed by waterlogging, will not get the claim, unless the inundation clause in the operational guidelines of PMFBY was overruled by the Centre. One option, he said, farmers have is that they can replant their farm with maize instead of rice. “If they are willing to do so, the State can give the input cost. At the same time, if there are farmers, who have not been able to grow anything due to waterlogging, they will be given compensation according to the crop insurance scheme, the official said. Sandhu, however, said maize is not an option as it being a highland crop may not grow well in their farms which have poor water drainage facilities. According to a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha recently, nearly 62,732 farmers in Kurukeshtra district have enrolled for PMFBY in 2018-19 and there are about 21,800 admissible claims under the scheme. In Kurkushetra district, 62,732 farmers applicants were covered under PMFBY and 21,791 eligible insured farmers got admissible claims during this period. Source - https://www.thehindubusinessline.com
27.03.2024

Turkey - Climate change may affect grape cultivation

A recent study has highlighted the impact of the climate crisis on viticulture in Turkey, predicting that the expected rise in temperatures and reduced rainfall could shift the suitability of vineyard regions for grape production over the next three decades.

27.03.2024

Crop crisis reveals El Niño’s toll on Southern Africa

New findings from the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (Enso) reference group highlight the significant impact of the 2023/24 El Niño event on various aspects of climate and agriculture in Southern Africa.

27.03.2024

Philippines - Crop losses reach P80M as drought hits Negros Oriental

As the El Niño phenomenon worsens in Negros Oriental, damage to rice, corn, and other high-value crops has reached more than PHP80.4 million, the Department of Agriculture-Provincial Agriculture Technology Coordinating Office (DA-PATCO) said Tuesday.

27.03.2024

USA - Farmers say coverage has become unavailable or unaffordable as drought and floods increasingly threaten their crops

Farmers who grow fresh fruits and vegetables are often finding crop insurance prohibitively expensive — or even unavailable — as climate change escalates the likelihood of drought and floods capable of decimating harvests.

27.03.2024

India - Telangana Minister assures financial support for rain-affected farmers

Telangana Excise and Prohibition Minister Jupally Krishna Rao has assured the farmers that the government is committed to providing financial help to the cultivators whose crops were damaged due to unseasonal rains.

27.03.2024

Australia - Managing canola pests using beneficial insects, spiders and mites

Australian grain growers will benefit from improved pest management strategies with the commencement of two new research projects focusing on beneficial insects (beneficials) in canola.

27.03.2024

USA - Early blooms indicate strong fruit year if frost, freeze can be avoided

Warm temperatures in late February and early March have led fruit trees across Virginia to blossom early. Based on what growers are seeing, the number of blooms indicate at banner crop. However, there is a risk a portion of that crop could be wiped out by a freeze or frost.

27.03.2024

USA - As winters warm, Wisconsin fruit growers brace for the worst

On a cool, early spring morning in March, Liz Griffith stands among her apple trees, reaching to the very highest branches with a pole saw. Birds that have already returned north call to each other over the “snip snip” of shears, as Griffith and her staff prune through eight acres of apple trees on her orchard in Cottage Grove.

istanbul escort şişli escort tbilisi escort şişli escort şişli escort maslak escort istanbul escort beşiktaş escort taksim escort izmir escort ümraniye escort mecidiyeköy escort şişli escort taksim escort ümraniye escort kartal escort şirinevler escort maltepe escort istanbul escort ümraniye escort kadıköy escort vip escort mersin escort istanbul escorts ataköy escort avcılar escort beylikdüzü escort okmeydanı escort şişli escort tuzla escort işitme cihazı sex shop sex shop sex shop sex shop sex shop sex shop sex shop sex shop