Maharashtra to implement pilot weather based crop insurance scheme for rabi crops

PUNE: Maharashtra government will for the first time implement a pilot project on weather-based crop insurance scheme for the rabi crops of wheat, gram and jowar.

The insurance will cover damage caused by changes in temperature, humidity and untimely rainfall. Under this scheme, wheat and jowar would be covered in Ahmedngar district, jowar and gram in Osmanabad, wheat and gram in Amaravati and Nagpur. The farmers will be eligible to get compensation upto Rs 25,000/hectare for wheat, jowar and gram.

All the farmers cultivating the notified crops in the notified area of the selected districts will be eligible to take benefit of the weather based crop insurance scheme in 2013-14. The scheme will be mandatory for farmers who have availed crop loan. It will be optional for other farmers.