The Centre has expanded the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Under the revised framework, crop loss due to wild animal attack will now be recognised as the fifth add-on cover under the localised risk category. States will notify the list of wild animals responsible for crop damage and identify vulnerable districts or insurance units based on historical data. Farmers will be required to report losses within 72 hours using the crop insurance app by uploading geotagged photographs. For years, farmers across India have suffered crop losses due to wild animals. Until now, such losses often went uncompensated as they were not covered under crop insurance. Additionally, the Centre has also announced relief for paddy farmers. Paddy inundation was removed from the localised calamity category in 2018 due to concerns about moral hazard and the difficulty of assessing submerged crops. However, its exclusion led to a significant protection gap for farmers in districts prone to seasonal flooding. Paddy inundation has been reintroduced under PMFBY. This will mostly benefit farmers in coastal and flood-prone states. However, the horticulture sector of Jammu and Kashmir needs to wait for time. Every year, there is a hailstorm in Kashmir, and horticulture crops become the first casualty. Insurance companies are reluctant to provide coverage to the horticulture sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Plus, the horticulture sector is not covered under PMFBY. Last year, two insurance companies had submitted their bids for the scheme. However, they were rejected because they had quoted rates over and above the norms. The Omar Abdullah government has now appealed to the Centre to convince big insurance companies to participate in the bids. Horticulture suffers a double whammy in Kashmir. Unseasonal rains, hailstorms, and floods, coupled with highway blues, have been wreaking havoc on Kashmir’s horticulture sector. Ninety percent of horticulturists in Kashmir are marginal growers, and they suffer the most due to the weather vagaries. According to fruit growers, the horticulture sector suffered a loss of Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500 crore due to the recent highway blockade. More than 344,696 hectares of land are under horticultural cultivation. Fresh fruit cultivation spans 252,257 hectares, while dry fruit orchards cover 92,438 hectares. Fruit growers pin hopes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Farmers have repeatedly sent SOS to central and state leaders for including the horticulture sector in the crop insurance scheme. The government needs to listen to the farmers and resolve their issues. Horticulture is the mainstay of Kashmir’s economy. The insurance scheme for horticulture will send a positive signal across Jammu and Kashmir. It will not only help the marginal farmers but will also give a major boost to the fruit economy of Kashmir.
Fruit growers woes
