Haryana implements weather based crop insurance scheme

AHMEDABAD: Haryana Government has implemented Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) in 18 blocks of 17 districts of the state during the year 2012-13.The scheme covers both Kharif and Rabi crops like wheat, paddy, bajra and cotton.

A spokesman of the agriculture department said that the blocks in which WBCIS has been implemented for paddy crops during Kharif 2012-13 included Ambala-II, Gohana, Bilaspur, Palwal, Babain, Beri, Barwala, Tohana and Jakhal, Sirsa, Madlouda, Narnaund and Ballabgarh, whereas the scheme had been implemented for cotton crop in Bawanikhera block of district Bhiwani.

The bajra crop has been covered under the scheme in blocks of Mahendergarh, Bawal, Taoru and Farukhnagar, he added.

He said that the farmers would have to pay Rs 300, Rs 297.50 and Rs 600 per acre for paddy, bajra and cotton crops respectively as premium under the scheme and the rest of the amount of the premium that is Rs 450, Rs 276.25 and Rs 300 for paddy, bajra and cotton crops respectively would be shared equally by the state and the central government.

The spokesman said that the scheme was being implemented by Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited and other private companies approved by Government of India. The total claims paid to the affected farmers from Rabi 2009-10 to Kharif 2011-12 amounted to Rs 13.18 crore benefitting 19,157 farmers. The average claim per benefitted farmer stood at Rs 6880.