The newly launched Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) has been notified in the State that would cover all the farmers with more expanded crop insurance benefits for the upcoming kharif season. However, just two crops namely, Aghani paddy and Bhadai maize could qualify to be covered under the scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January this year nationwide.
The scheme has been made compulsory for all the loanee farmers whereas others can opt for the coverage against different natural calamities. “The State Government on Thursday issued notification for the PMFBY for farmers here. Now, the instructions and set guidelines of the scheme would be circulated to all commercial, private, regional and cooperative banks besides, lAMPS and PACS for its implementation,” said Hemanta Kumar Panda, Regional Manager of Agriculture Insurance Company of India limited, the insurance company given task for the cropping coverage.
Renewed directions related to the crop insurance say that the farmers would have to get their notified crops insured by July 31 to avail the coverage. Also, it has set notified areas for all the districts for the two crops covered.
“Gram panchayats would be the notified area for Aghani paddy while for Bhadai maize it is block. Only two crops from the State could figure into the scheme. Crops to get qualified under the new insurance scheme needed 10-year long yield pattern which was just for these two. Hopefully in future, we can get more crops and horticulture produces covered,” Agriculture Secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni said.
PMFBY covers 25 per cent expenses coming on paddy sowing preparations which could not be done due to bad weather while ready to harvest crops getting destroyed due to inclement weather condition or any natural calamity would be calculated based on guaranteed and actual yield. Personal level losses due to local calamities such hailstorm, landslide and flooding and even destruction post-harvest are covered as well.
“Even harvested crop getting destroyed due to cyclone or unseasonal rain within 14 days is covered. Farmers can also make advance claim if crop yield is expected to remain 50 per cent below than the actual threshold yield. In such cases, 25 per cent of possible claim can be met which would be adjusted with the last claim at the end of the season,” said Panda.
Importantly, the notification says that the farmers would have to pay just 2 per cent of the insured amount as premium while the rest would be borne equally by the Centre and State Governments. “The scheme is quite lucrative for the farmers. We have got direction from the Chief Minister to propagate it as much as possible among farmers by organising camps. Banks have been told to chalk out their strategy,” added Kulkarni.
The scheme has also fixed insurance amount for every hectare of the two notified crops which varies from district to district. Maximum rate of Rs 69,714 per hectare for paddy and Rs 60,582 for maize has been set for Palamu while it is the lowest in Pakur with Rs 36,500 and Rs 27,500, respectively.