No Jammu farmer paid insurance claim since 2007

No Jammu farmer paid insurance claim since 2007
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 28
Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said in the Legislative Council here today that since 2007 no farmer in the Jammu region had been paid compensation under the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme.

In a written reply to a question by BR Kundal of the Congress, Mir said, “The National Agriculture Insurance Scheme was introduced in 2002 and implemented in 2004-05 across the state. So far 1,387 farmers of Jammu, Poonch and Udhampur districts have been paid compensation (claims) under the scheme. These farmers were paid compensation for damage caused to their paddy and maize crops during 2005-06 and 2006-07,” he said.

As per the reply, 28,317 farmers were registered under the insurance scheme and 42,183 hectares were covered from 2004 till date.

Mir said the objective of the scheme was to provide insurance cover and financial support to the farmers in the event of any damage to their crops suffered due to natural calamities, pest attack and diseases. “Besides, the scheme also provides help to the farmers in stabilising farm incomes, stipulate the primary production of food crops and oilseeds,” he added.

The minister said the scheme was jointly sponsored by the Central and state governments and it was being implemented on the seasonal basis.