Kashmir to have crop insurance scheme

Srinagar, Oct 29 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir government plans to introduce crop insurance scheme so that farmers and growers can get adequate compensation for crop losses incurred by them due to natural calamities.

The farmers of Kashmir valley have been facing lot of problems for almost a decade as their paddy, almonds, apple and walnut crops get destroyed often due to uncertain climatic conditions.

It is sometimes incessant rains and at other times delayed rainfall. As most of India's farming community is poverty stricken, these losses trigger off suicide attempts.

Farmers end up demanding compensation from the government and receive a nominal amount that hardly helps them recover the losses.ut the state government assures that this insurance scheme would help them recover their losses. Government would be paying a part of the premium amount.

"A part of the insurance premium would be paid by the government so that more farmers should come and get the insurance done. Government never gives the compensation amount on its own but it provides help from the calamity relief fund. But with the help of this scheme, a grower can get proper compensation amount for his loss," said Gulam Hassan Mir, State Minister for Agriculture, Jammu And Kashmir.

Although there has been a delay in the introduction of the scheme by the state government, the farmers are glad that they can now recover the losses.

"For the last 5-6 years, out of unfavourable climatic conditions, crops are getting damaged. This step that J and K government has taken has already been introduced in other states of the country by the central government but its better late than never. It is a nice step as the farmers are 80 percent dependent on their cultivation," said Abdul Hameed Wani, a farmer.

Agriculture accounts for nearly 25 per cent of India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides livelihood to nearly two-thirds of the country's billion population.

The agricultural sector relies on rainfall for irrigation. (ANI)