Maharashtra receives more than 2 lakh claims for crop damage

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yogna (PMFBY), the Centre’s flagship scheme, allows farmers to insure their crops after paying a minimum amount towards insurance premium. Given the good coverage assured, farmers have enthusiastically insured their crops. As per the scheme, farmers pay 1 to 2 per cent of the premium for crops and , and around 5 per cent of premium for horticulture crops, while the rest is picked up by central and state governments.

The season of 2022-23 was marked by unusually high temperatures in winter and return of hail and unseasonal rains. Over the last three years, the state was mostly spared of the double whammy of hail and unseasonal rains. Hail is especially detrimental to horticulture crops which it can totally destroy.

Beed by far has seen 21,763 claims, the highest so far. Yavatmal, Jalna, Parbhani, Hingoli, Latur, Osmanabad have also seen humongous number of intimations being filed. No district in Konkan region has sent out an intimation. Many farm organisers have asked for quick surveys to determine the total loss sustained by farmers. Failure of insurance companies to release payment on time, they said, causes severe losses to farmers.