Recalibrate crop insurance for perennial plantations, MP urges Centre
Mangaluru/New Delhi: On Tuesday, Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta called upon the Centre to conduct a thorough examination of the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme as it applies to perennial plantation crops such as arecanut, coconut, cocoa and spices. The purpose is to guarantee that insurance coverage truly mirrors the hazards plantation farmers confront.
The issue was brought up under Rule 377 during proceedings in the Lok Sabha. He underscored that perennial plantation crops meet risks unlike those of seasonal field crops.
“Extended rainfall, high humidity levels, disease outbreaks, drainage situations and localised microclimates may inflict progressive harm on crops even though a solitary weather limit remains unbroken at the closest reference weather station. Consequently, growers need insurance products whose notified units, weather stations and policy term sheets fairly represent the distinct risk character of plantation zones,” he said.
Capt. Chowta pressed the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to order a combined actuarial and agronomic scrutiny of the scheme’s structure for plantation crops. “Scrutiny should cover the number and siting of weather stations, the dimensions of notified units, rainfall and humidity triggers, the period and order of harmful weather events, sensitivity at different crop stages, basis risk, the insured sum and the pace of claim settlement. ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, insurers, the Government of Karnataka and grower representative bodies must take part in the exercise,” he demanded. Capt. Chowta recommended that updated insurance term sheets undergo trials in selected coastal and Malnad districts prior to general application. Publication of side-by-side assessments of actual field losses against trigger-based payouts, model notification formats and firm timelines for States to enrol appropriate plantation crops were also requested.
Pointing to the necessity of a more adaptive insurance approach, Capt. Chowta clarified that the intent is not to assure payment for every setback but to confirm that the mechanism gauges the risks it is meant to address and offers clear, swift cover to plantation farmers.
He expressed the expectation that a scientific and evidence-driven review of the plantation-crop insurance system would diminish risk, enhance the performance of weather-based insurance and afford steadier security to farmers across coastal and Malnad regions.