VIJAYAWADA: NTR District Collector G Lakshmisha on Friday urged loanee and non-loanee farmers to enrol in crop insurance schemes to safeguard themselves against financial losses during crop distress.
Chairing a meeting with officials, the Collector directed them to intensify awareness campaigns in view of the potential impact of El Niño conditions on crops. He asked officials to promote the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme via drives.
For Kharif 2026, paddy, red chilli, maize and green gram have been notified under PMFBY, while cotton is covered under the weather-based scheme. Citing an example, Lakshmisha said paddy carries an insurance cover of `42,500 per acre, while farmers need to pay only `850 as the premium.
The Collector said the last date for enrolment is July 24 for cotton, July 31 for red chilli, maize and green gram, and August 15 for paddy. He said the premium for loanee farmers will be included with crop loans, while non-loanee farmers can enrol through banks, financial institutions, Common Service Centres (CSCs), the National Crop Insurance Portal, Swarna Gramam centres and post offices by submitting a self-declaration.
