Telangana to Reintroduce Crop Insurance After Five-Year Gap

Hyderabad, Apr 25 (KNN) Farmers in Telangana will once again benefit from crop insurance, with the State Government set to reintroduce the comprehensive scheme during the upcoming kharif season.

This move marks a return to the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, which the State had opted out of in 2020.

Under the scheme, farmers will pay 2 per cent of the premium for kharif crops and 1.5 per cent for rabi crops, while commercial crops will attract a 5 per cent premium. The remaining cost will be split between the State and Central governments.

To enhance the accuracy of assessing crop losses, Telangana will be divided into 11 clusters. Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao stated that the initiative will protect farmers against unseasonal rains, droughts, and other extreme weather conditions.

The scheme aims to cover 98 per cent of the State’s gross cropped area, which spans over 1.28 crore acres in kharif and 78 lakh acres in rabi. Major crops include paddy, cotton, and maize.

The government plans to introduce a yield-based insurance model for crops like paddy, maize, red gram, and soyabean, while cotton, chilli, mango, and tomato will be covered under a weather-based model.

Officials have also been directed to use technology to speed up yield assessment and insurance claim processing.

However, farmer groups raised concerns about exclusions. “Tenant farmers cultivate nearly 25 per cent of the land, but payouts go to landowners,” said Kanneganti Ravi of Rythu Swarajya Vedika. He urged the government to include tenant farmers in the scheme.

S Malla Reddy of the All India Kisan Sabha warned that erratic loan disbursals and delays could hinder implementation. He also criticized the delay in rolling out the promised 2024-25 scheme.

(KNN Bureau)