Lok Sabha Question No. 2176 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-29
Subject: Crop Insurance Scheme
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: JYOTI DHURVE

O.I.H

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2176

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29 TH   NOVEMBER, 2016

## CROP INSURANCE SCHEME

## 2176.      SHRIMATI JYOTI DHURVE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) the efforts being made by the Government to save the farmers from natural disasters/ calamities;
- (b) the manner in which farmers are being familiarised with these crops insurance schemes, State-wise so that more and more farmers are benefited from these schemes; and
- (c) whether practical risk like water logging is covered under the Crop Insurance Scheme, and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  S.S. AHLUWALIA)

- (a): Financial assistance is provided   to farmers as per guidelines on the items and norms of assistance  from  State  Disaster  Response  Fund  (SDRF)/  National  Disaster  Response  Fund (NDRF) dated 8 th April,  2015  of  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs,  where  assistance  is  admissible  for crop  loss  of  33%  and  above  for  notified  natural  calamities  viz.  Avalanches,  Cyclone,  Cloud burst, Drought, Earthquake/Tsunami, Fire, Flood, Hailstorm, Landslides, Pest attack, Frost and Cold  wave.  The  norms  of  assistance  under  SDRF/NDRF  are  Rs.  6800/-  per  ha  for  rainfed areas,  Rs.13500/-per  ha  for  assured  irrigated  areas  and  Rs.18000/-per  ha  for  all  types  of perennial  crops.      Assistance  under  SDRF/NDRF provided is for immediate relief and not by way of compensation for the loss suffered.

Government  of  India  is  implementing  yield  based  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana (PMFBY) which has replaced the National Agricultural  Insurance  Scheme  (NAIS)  &  Modified National  Agricultural  Insurance  Scheme  (MNAIS),  from  Kharif  2016  season.   Comprehensive risk  insurance is provided under PMFBY to cover yield loss due to non-preventable risks viz. natural fire and lightening; Storm, Hailstorm, Cyclone, Typhoon, Tempest, Hurricane, Tornado etc.;  Flood, Inundation and Landslide; Drought, Dry Spells; Pests/ Diseases etc.   On the other hand, Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) provides insurance protection to the farmers  against  adverse  weather  incidence,  such  as  deficit  and  excess  rainfall,  high  or  low temperature, humidity etc. which are deemed to impact adversely the crop production.

(b): To enhance the awareness about Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) among all  the  stakeholders  including  farmers,  Government  is  undertaking  a  comprehensive  publicity and  awareness  programme  to  educate  the  farmers  about  the  benefit  of  crop  insurance schemes.     Capacity   building   and training programmes for other stakeholders are also being Contd…2/-

organized.   The salient activities under awareness campaign, involve the publicity of features & benefits of the scheme through advertisements in leading National/local News Papers, telecast through audio-visual media, distribution of pamphlets, participation in agriculture fairs / mela / gosti  and  organization  of  workshops  /  trainings  and  SMS  through  Kisan  Portal  etc.  State Governments/UTs  are  also  being  regularly  persuaded  to  increase  the  coverage  including notifying more crops under crop Insurance schemes.   One day seminar/kisan fair especially on the  PMFBY was  also  organized  at  various  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  during  April,  2016 throughout the country.

(c): The  Yield  based  schemes  not  only  safeguards  against  wide-spread  yield  loss  due  to non-preventable natural risks viz. drought, flood, pest and diseases etc. but also against farm level  yield  loss  due  to  hailstorm,  landslide  and  inundation.    Further,  immediate  relief  is  also provided to insured farmers in case of adverse seasonal conditions during the crop season due to which expected yield during the season is likely to be less than 50% of the Threshold Yield in the concerned insurance unit. For drop in crop production in the event of damage or loss of crop due  to  natural  calamities,  compensation/claim  is  determined  based  on  the  shortfall  in  actual yield as assessed  through  Crop  Cutting  Experiments  (CCEs)  vis-à-vis threshold yield. Threshold yield being average yield of past seven years (excluding a maximum of two calamity year(s) as notified by State Government/Union Territory) multiplied by applicable indemnity level for that crop.

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