HP govt pushes for weather based crop insurance scheme

Director of Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Department advocated for the Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) during the two-day National Review Conference on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana held on January 18 and 19 in Bengaluru.

Vinay Singh addressed the conference and said the scheme is being implemented in the state because it is more farmer-friendly.

Singh also said the hill horticulture in Himachal Pradesh, particularly apple-based farming, is characterised by high investment, long gestation periods and extreme vulnerability to climatic risks. Under such conditions, uniform risk models designed for plain states do not prove effective in Himalayan regions.

He also emphasised the insurance mechanism should not remain confined only to weather deviations but must also be linked with actual production losses. In adverse years, a wide gap is observed between the potential production capacity of apples and the actual output, resulting in substantial financial losses for orchardists.