The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the comprehensive
crop insurance scheme launched this year by the government, has provided
coverage to over 26 per cent farmers and is likely to cross the target
of 30 per cent coverage for both kharif and rabi seasons in 2016-17, the
Agriculture Ministry has said.
“In terms of total
area covered, the achievement has been significant amounting to a total
area of 388.62 lakh hectare and sum insured of ₹1,41,339 crore. The
performance this season has improved by 18.50 per cent in terms of
farmers coverage, 15 per cent in terms of area coverage and 104 per cent
in terms of sum insured….” an official release circulated by the
Agriculture Ministry on Wednesday stated.
In
comparison, in kharif 2015 the number of farmers covered was 309 lakh
(22.33 per cent), total area coverage was 339 lakh hectare and sum
insured was ₹69,307 crore, the release added.
The
performance in kharif 2016 (June-September) is better despite the fact
that there were teething issues such as a delay in notification of the
scheme by many States. The cut-off date for availing insurance was
extended July 31, 2016, which was later extended to August 10, 2016.
Furthermore,
there has been a quantum jump of more than 6 times in the coverage of
non-loanee farmers from 14.88 lakh in kharif 2015 to 102.6 lakh in
kharif 2016, the release said.
The PMFBY, which
replaced the older National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and the
modified NAIS, seeks to provide comprehensive insurance to farmers
against the vagaries of nature at very low premia of 2 per cent of the
insured value for the kharif crop and 1.5 per cent for the rabi season.
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