Farmers in two districts, to begin with, would have some respite from the crop damage and loss of yield and production with wild boars and monkeys attack from the next kharif season as the risk is set to be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
Although crop damage and production loss of food crops including cereals, millets, pulses and oilseeds as also horticulture crops due to wild boars, monkeys, peacocks, antelopes (deer), rabbits and rodents has become rampant in several pockets of the State in the recent years, the Centre has allowed the State Government to provide add-on risk covered due to two wild animals attack which is perceived to be substantial and identifiable.
Notification
“For Telangana, the additional risk cover under PMFBY would be from wild boar and monkey attacks. As it is done on pilot basis from the next kharif, two most vulnerable districts would be identified for risk cover after Sankranti and informed to the Ministry of Agriculture before issuance of notification for the next agriculture year 2019-20 that covers the next kharif and rabi seasons,” Agriculture Production Commissioner C. Parthasarathi told The Hindu.
The risk coverage would be on the same parameters as in case of regular crop insurance – the loss of yield against the notified indemnity level of the threshold yield. The indemnity level fixed for the State is 80% and the threshold yield is notified (calculated) based on the average yield of past seven years excluding a maximum of two calamity years as notified by the State Government. According to officials of the Agriculture Department, some farmers in the State have been suffering crop production loss ranging from 10% to 25% in most of the cases and much higher in some instances from wild animal attack. In the recent years, the menace of wild boars and monkeys before/during the harvesting stage has been high in crops such as maize and groundnut.
Explaining the impact of wild animal attack on crops causing huge income loss to farmers, Mr. Parthasarathi said: “When I was District Collector of combined Karimnagar in the past, people at a village in Manakondur mandal requested the administration to help them deal with the monkey menace on maize crop, when they were asked about problems”.
Alternative crops
There were some pockets where the farmers were forced change the cropping patterns by giving up cultivation of crops like groundnut and maize attacked/damaged by wild animals frequently and going for alternative crops, Mr. Parthasarathi explained.
The risk cover for wild animal attack on crops would insure the farmers against income loss, save costs for measures such as electric-fencing for the standing crop and prevents accidents of electrocution due to such fencing, agriculture officials said.
