THANJAVUR: With only three days left for the deadline for farmers to enrol in PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), only 1,68,447 hectares (48%) of samba paddy crop has been insured in the delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Tiruchy.
Several reasons are attributed to the low enrolment, including involvement of village officials’ in the SIR of electoral rolls due to which farmers could not obtain certificates and documents.
To enrol in PMFBY, farmers have to pay premium of Rs 564 per acre for samba paddy for a sum assured of Rs 37,600 per acre. The last date to pay the premium is November 15.
According to officials in the agriculture and farmers Welfare department, in the five districts so far 3,51,903 hectares have been brought under samba, thaladi paddy crops. Out of this, the premium for crop insurance has been paid for only crops in 1,68,447 hectares so far, which works to around 48%.
The lowest area of crop insured is in Thanjavur where only around 36% has been insured. Mayiladuthurai tops the list with 59% coverage. “As the village level officials including VAOs are concentrating on SIR work, farmers are facing difficulties in getting the chitta (land ownership) and adangal (cultivation detail) certificates”, said S Vimalnathan, secretary of TN Cauvery farmers protection association.
“Some VAOs are refusing to issue cultivation certificates even though farmers have raised the nursery. They say it would be issued only after transplantation is over”, he added. P S Masilamani, state general secretary of TN farmers association, said in many areas farmers who lost kuruvai crop due to rain are in distress.
“As there have been predictions of above-normal rainfall during the North East Monsoon, there is a risk of samba paddy being affected due to excess rain. Hence there is a need for extending the cut-off date to at least November 30”, he said. Agriculture department officials said some district administrations have written to the state government to extend the cut-off date.
(With inputs from Mohamed Salahudeen in Nagapattinam, Vincent Arockiaraj in Tiruchy)