The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Weather-based crop insurance for banana, mango

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Saturday, Mar 26, 2011
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Weather-based crop insurance for banana, mango

Correspondent

‘Farmers, including tenant and non-loanees, are eligible'

Automatic weather stations to be set up to record data, transmit the same to central server
On the basis of data, insurance company will settle claims of farmers

VIZIANAGARAM: Weather-based crop insurance (WBCI) scheme for banana and mango crops will be introduced in the district from the next fiscal, according to P. Nagarjuna, Deputy General Manager of Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited, Hyderabad.

Mr. Nagarjuna, who met Collector M. Veerabrahmaiah on Thursday, said the proposal was made by the then district Collector at the district consultative committee meeting in 2009-10 and in principle it was approved at the State-level committee meeting of the company.

Under WBCI guidelines, banana and mango growers will receive compensation for the crop loss on account of unseasonal or heavy rain, strong gales, drought conditions, etc. Automatic weather stations will be established to record data and transmit the same to the central server. On the basis of the data, the insurance company will settle the claims for loss, if any, of farmers.

All farmers, including tenant farmers and non-loanees, are eligible for insurance claim. The approximate premium amount will be Rs. 27 - 48 per mango tree for a sum assured of Rs. 450 - 800.

Awareness meet

Mr. Nagarjuna appealed to the Collector to extend his support for introducing the scheme in the district. The Collector in turn asked him to create awareness among farmers by arranging a meeting of about 1,500 model farmers in the district.

Mr. Nagarjuna said awareness levels among farmers had increased considerably if the settlement of claims during the last 14 years were any indication. So far, claims worth Rs. 46 crore of which Rs. 19.46 crore relate to 2009-10 benefiting 1.58 lakh farmers had been settled, he said. The coverage of non-loanee farmers too had increased during 2009-10, he said.

Lead Bank Manager B.G.K. Acharyulu, Joint Director (Agriculture) G. Guravayya, Assistant Director (Horticulture) Lakshminarayana, and Agriculture Officer Vijaya Kumar were present.

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