The weather-based crop insurance scheme (WBCIS) and the modified national agriculture insurance scheme (MNAIS), the two components of the National Crop Insurance Programme of the Union government, are being extended to farmers in the State for the ongoing crop season. Paddy, plantain, cashew, sugarcane, mango, and tapioca are covered under the scheme.
Particulars of the applicability of the scheme for crops in various districts have been specified by the State Level Coordination Committee on Crop Insurances. Agricultural Insurance Company of India Ltd., a Union government enterprise, will be the implementing agency. While farmers who have taken agriculture loans from banks and approved financial institutions are covered under the scheme, for other ryots it is voluntary.
The scheme is being implemented jointly by the Union and the State governments.
Weather-based
Parameters have been stipulated for the weather-based insurance and data are collected with the help of nearly 130 weather stations across the State, D. Rajesh, head of the State-level regional office of the agricultural insurance company, told The Hindu . Four or five panchayats come under each weather station for the implementation of the scheme. While the WBCIS scheme is segregated for crops under kharif and rabi seasons, it is applicable to some crops such as cashew in Kerala on an extended time frame. For instance, the December-May period is taken into account for cashew, he said.
Yield the criterion
Under the MNAIS scheme, the yield of the particular crop, as decided by the authorities, is the criterion and all the farmers insured under the scheme will be eligible for compensation if the yield falls below the stipulated limit. The second paddy crop is brought under the WBCIS scheme in districts other than Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, and Kottayam, where the MNAIS scheme will be applicable.
Under the WBCIS scheme, Rs.10,000 will be the insured amount for an acre and the insurance premium is Rs.200. The insurance amount for plantain for an acre is Rs.40,000 and the premium is Rs.2,200, and the scheme will be applicable in districts other than Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, and Kottayam.
For cashew and sugarcane, the insurance coverage for an acre will be Rs.20,000 and Rs.12,000, respectively, while the premium will be Rs.1,100 and Rs.660, respectively. The scheme for cashew will be applicable in Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod, and Malappuram districts.
The scheme for sugarcane is applicable in Idukki and Palakkad. For tapioca, covered under the MNAIS, the insurance amount for an acre is Rs.97,309.
The scheme is applicable in all the districts.
