CHENNAI: With natural calamities striking at will, authorities of the Agriculture Department are trying to ensure maximum coverage of farmers under the crop insurance scheme to reduce their risks.
During the current financial year (up to November 20), a total of 4.26 lakh farmers have been enrolled under the Prime Minister’s Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) with an acreage of 3.46 lakh hectare.
With the November 30 deadline for enrollment fast approaching, authorities of the department are working overtime to augment the drive. They are employing various methods to reach out to the farmers to drive home the message. “Carrying banners and placards, vehicles are plying across agricultural clusters to enlighten farmers on the need to be covered under the crop insurance scheme. We are also disseminating the message through social media, particularly WhatsApp,” a top official of Agriculture department told Express on Tuesday.
District Collectors are also sharing the message on insurance coverage through meetings, besides officials of the Agriculture department.
The Agricultural Production Commissioner and principal secretary, Agriculture department, Gagandeep Singh Bedi sensitised the district authorities through video-conferencing on Monday to enlarge the coverage.
Coming under tremendous financial stress during 2016-17, farmers showed keen interest in getting their names enrolled in the scheme. A total of 15.36 lakh farmers got enrolled under PMFBY insuring an area of 12.882 lakh hectare in the background of last year’s unprecedented drought.
This is the highest area figure yet under the crop insurance scheme over the last six years. Only in two years, 2012-13 and 2015-16, the number of farmers covered under the crop insurance scheme crossed 10 lakh mark, other than 2016-17.
With only nine days to go, officials are making whirlwind tours of agricultural clusters intensifying the efforts to expand the coverage of PMFBY.