VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials of the Agriculture department to ensure that crop insurance serves as a protective shield for farmers and tenant farmers against loss caused by natural calamities. He emphasised the need to conduct awareness programmes on crop insurance and provide clear guidelines at the field level.
Addressing officials through a teleconference on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said although cyclones Arnab and Murasu affected the State in quick succession during this season, the agricultural sector suffered major loss. “For the Kharif season this year, we have notified 22 types of crops for insurance. Of these, yield-based insurance is being implemented for 15 crops, while weather-based insurance is being provided for the remaining seven crops,” he said.
Naidu said as a result of the proactive measures taken by the State government, farmer enrolment under crop insurance has increased substantially. Andhra Pradesh ranks sixth in the country in providing crop insurance coverage. “This year, we have provided insurance coverage for crops cultivated by 17.07 lakh farmers.
Paddy, red gram, groundnut, cotton, chilli and maize account for 90 per cent of the total insured area. A major portion of the paddy cultivation area is located in the 16 cyclone-affected districts,” he added.
The Chief Minister said the government is providing input subsidies to farmers. When farmers receive both crop insurance and input subsidy, they can recover their investments and gain financial security. Agriculture department officials must ensure that compensation reaches all farmers who have paid their insurance premiums. No farmer should suffer loss, he said.
The Chief Minister said farmers could face severe losses if crop insurance claims were not settled properly. “A total of 30,286 Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) need to be conducted. These should be completed and made available by November.
Cyclones occur in the State once every two years and sometimes once every five years.
Due to these natural calamities, farmers are often unable to recover even the investments they have made in cultivation. If we provide farmers with the assurance that they can recover their investments, they will be able to overcome such losses. Coordinating input subsidies with crop insurance will ensure comprehensive benefits for farmers,” Naidu said.
The Chief Minister highlighted the growing use of the Agri App and directed officials to further expand its adoption among farmers. “There are 47 lakh farmers in the state, of whom 20 lakh have downloaded the Agri App. Around 10 lakh farmers are using it regularly. The app provides various services, and farmers should make greater use of these facilities,” he said.
