AP CM Naidu directs officials to ensure effective crop insurance for farmers
Amaravati, Nov 3 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed Agriculture Department officials to ensure effective implementation of crop insurance schemes to protect farmers and tenant farmers against losses caused by natural calamities.
During a teleconference with officials, he stressed the need for creating awareness about crop insurance, issuing clear field-level guidelines and ensuring timely settlement of claims.
He said successive cyclones Arnav and Murusu had caused considerable damage to agriculture during the current season.
The government had notified 22 crops for insurance coverage during the Kharif season, including 15 under yield-based insurance and seven under weather-based insurance, the CM said.
Naidu said crop insurance coverage had been extended to 17.07 lakh farmers this year, placing Andhra Pradesh sixth nationally in terms of coverage. Paddy, red gram, groundnut, cotton, chilli and maize accounted for 90 per cent of the total insured area.
He noted that a major portion of the paddy cultivation area was located in the 16 cyclone-affected districts and directed officials to ensure that all farmers who had paid insurance premiums received compensation for crop losses.
The Chief Minister said insurance compensation, along with government input subsidies, would help farmers recover their cultivation investments and provide financial security.
He instructed officials to complete 30,286 Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) and make the results available by the end of November to facilitate settlement of insurance claims.
Observing that recurring cyclones and other natural calamities often leave farmers unable to recover their investments, he stressed the need to integrate crop insurance with input assistance to provide comprehensive support to the farming community.
Naidu also called for wider use of the Agri App, noting that 20 lakh of the State’s 47 lakh farmers had downloaded it, while around 10 lakh were using it regularly.
He suggested introducing a facility to obtain crop loans through the application and directed officials to upload crop-loss details onto the platform to improve access to government services.
Despite the ongoing elections, the government was according priority to farmers’ issues, he said, appreciating the efforts of Agriculture Department officials and employees and asking them to maintain the same commitment in implementing crop insurance schemes.
TNT KM
