Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is proving beneficial for protecting the main crops like wheat, maize, paddy, barley from natural calamities. With this scheme, farmers are now being compensated for their losses. The direct benefit of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna implemented by the State Government in the interest of farmers is now being extended to the farmers of the state.
Weather based cash crops also included in the scheme
Apart from the main crops grown by the people in the State, cash crops such as tomato, peas, ginger, garlic, capsicum and other weather-based cash crops that are damaged in natural disasters like fire, sky lightning, drought, flood, water logging, hailstorm, cyclone, storm, landslide, cloudburst, pests, diseases etc have been included in Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme.
Compensation of Rs 19.54 crores provided to farmers
The State Government is effectively implementing the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna in the state in interest of farmers. During the tenure of present government, compensation of Rs. 19.54 crore has been given to the 101585 affected farmers for crop loss in the state, till date. Under the scheme, 8436 in district Bilaspur, 1081 in Mandi, 1764 in Sirmaur, 2659 in Solan, 3108 in Chamba, 45875 in Hamirpur, 22997 in Kangra, 15652 in Una and 13 farmers in Kullu district were provided compensation under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna for damage of their Rabi and Kharif crops.
Maximum rate of premium on sum assured is 5 percent
The premium rate of sum assured has been kept at maximum 5 percent for farmers to insure their crop under this scheme. Whereas for weather based crop the sum assured for Kharif is two percent and 1.5 percent for Rabi crop. If the premium rate is more than five percent then the State and Central Government will bear it in the ratio of 50: 50.
Insurance cover to be provided as per climatic condition
Climatic conditions have also been included in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna. In case a farmer is unable to sow the crop in time due to less rainfall or unfavourable climatic conditions, then the farmer would also be given insurance cover. Besides this, if the crop kept for drying in the field after harvesting is damaged within 14 days due to cyclonic rain, cyclone, hail and unseasonal rain, then in that case estimate of the crop loss would be done at field level and later provided with crop compensation.
Scheme is voluntary for non-indebted farmers
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is voluntary for non-indebted farmers, while all the farmers taking loan for farmers will be automatically insured by the financial institutions under the scheme. If the debtor does not want to avail crop insurance under the PMFBY scheme, they can submit self declaration to the concerned bank and exit the scheme. But this declaration will have to be given by the debtor to the concerned bank branch seven days before the last date of getting the insurance of the season concerned.
Cash crops included in Kharif season
For the Kharif season, tomato cultivation in selected areas in district Solan, Bilaspur, Shimla, Sirmaur, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi, ginger crop in district Solan, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, pea crop of district Shimla, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Kullu and Chamba, potato crop of district Chamba, Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur and Una, cabbage crop of district Kullu and Shimla (Theog ), cauliflower crop of Shimla (Theog) and Lahaul-Spiti has also been included in the weather-based crop insurance scheme.
Cash crops included in rabi season
Tomato crop grown in district Solan and Mandi, potato crop of Kangra, capsicum crop of Dharampur of district Solan and garlic crop of Kullu have also been included in the weather based crop insurance scheme during the Rabi season.
Government committed to secure farmer’s interest
The Agriculture Minister said that the state government is committed to secure the interests of the farmers of the state, for which the government is providing all possible facilities to the farmers. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has been implemented in the state in the interest of farmers to compensate farmers for their losses due to various types of disasters.