Suicide of even a single farmer is a stigma and reveals distress, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan admitted during the National Conference on Crop Insurance here.
He pointed out that the government will have to evolve a crop insurance policy under which it subsidises the premium.
Draft policyTo evolve the scheme that can be expanded as a national policy, Mr. Chouhan hosted the conference with experts, farmers, officials and insurance companies and is close to formulating a draft policy which ensures a minimum income for farmers allowing for natural calamities and fluctuations in market prices. Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh is arriving here on Tuesday to give the Centre's stamp of approval to the draft policy.
Mr. Chouhan, who is credited with raising farm growth in the state to 22 per cent from 14 per cent in the last four years, is clear that farmers must be ensured a minimum income to secure them from weather-based risks and market fluctuations.
