The Maharashtra government is studying a proposal to provide insurance cover of up to Rs. 2 lakh a hectare for mango farmers affected by unseasonal rain in the State.
State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Eknath Khadse tweeted the plan on Tuesday, adding that cashew farmers too would be covered.
The plight of growers of Alphonso mangoes in the Konkan region was reported (“ >Rain lays low Konkan’s Alphonso ”) in The Hindu , March 22.
The farmers, however, asked the Minister to explain the details of the scheme as similar ones had been in existence in the past. “How much premium do we have to pay for this? What will be the criteria? All these and many more questions need to be answered. We can talk about the government’s plan only after we get those details,” said Vivek Bhide, president, Konkan Cooperative Association of Alphonso Mango Growers and Sellers.
Several natural calamities had affected farmers in the State over the past two years. Drought in 2013 was followed by a hailstorm the next year.
On Tuesday, the Centre announced a Rs. 2,000-crore relief package for Maharashtra.
