GUWAHATI, Jan 12 - The response of farmers to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has been positive in Assam and the State government is confident of crossing the enrolment target of five lakh applicants under the scheme during the current crop year.
Official sources told The Assam Tribune that the count of both loanee and non-loanee applicants have witnessed a surge across the State.
�We had set a target to enrol a minimum of five lakh farmers under the PMFBY this crop year, which includes the Kharif 2019 season and the Rabi 2019-20 season. The response so far has been very good and the scheme is gaining wide acceptance. While the actual data from the various implementing agencies at the district level takes some time to be compiled and verified, we are confident of not only achieving the target set by the State government, but also surpassing it,� a senior official said.
As per decision of the State Level Coordination Committee on Crop Insurance (SLCCCI), taken at the commencement of the crop year, sali (winter) paddy, jute and black gram crops were covered under the PMFBY during the Kharif 2019 season.
For the Rabi 2019-20 season, summer paddy, rapeseed and mustard, potato and sugarcane crops were included.
For the Rabi crops, the indemnity level is 80 per cent in case of summer paddy, rape and mustard, and potato, while it is 90 per cent for sugarcane.
Starting from this crop year, the norms for empanelment of implementing agencies were changed. As per the revised rules, the agencies were empanelled for three years.
All the districts of Assam were divided into eight clusters for coverage under the scheme. While the Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd (AIC) is the implementing agency in six of the clusters, the HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Ltd is in charge in the remaining two clusters.
In Cluster one (Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Goalpara and Dima Hasao), Cluster two (Jorhat, Majuli, Golaghat, Nalbari, Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong), Cluster three (Barpeta, Karimganj, Sivasagar and Charaideo), Cluster four (Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Biswanath and Dhemaji), Cluster five (Dhubri, South Salmara-Mankachar, Darrang and Hailakandi) and Cluster seven (Nagaon, Hojai, Chirang and Dibrugarh), the AIC is the implementing agency.
HDFC ERGO is implementing PMFBY in Cluster six (Udalguri, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur and Cachar) and Cluster eight (Kamrup Metro, Morigaon and Baksa).
Loanee farmers or those farmers who are availing Seasonal Agricultural Operations (SAO) loan from financial institutions for the notified crops would be covered compulsorily.
�Coverage is also available to non-loanee farmers on optional basis. Farmers� share of premium for up to one hectare per farmer is being borne by the State government,� said the official.
Sources added that enrolment for potato, rapeseed and mustard closed on December 31, 2019, while the last date for summer paddy and sugarcane is February 15.
The scheme covers various stages of the crops and risks leading to crop loss, including prevented sowing and planting risk, yield losses due to non-preventable risks like flood and other natural disasters, post-harvest losses up to a maximum period of two weeks from harvesting against specific perils like hailstorm and unseasonal rain, loss or damage from localised calamities, and add-on coverage for crop loss due to attack by wild animals, informed an official.
