Amaravati, Nov 3 With cyclones having battered Andhra Pradesh’s farm sector, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed Agriculture department officials to make crop insurance a dependable safety net for farmers.
Addressing officials through a teleconference, he stressed the need for awareness programmes on crop insurance and clear guidelines at the field level, according to a press release.
“Ensure that crop insurance serves as a protective shield for farmers and tenant farmers against losses caused by natural calamities,” Naidu said.
Noting that cyclones Arnab and Murasu struck the State in quick succession and caused heavy losses to the agriculture sector, he said 22 crops had been notified for insurance in the current Kharif season.
Yield-based insurance applies to 15 of the crops, while the other seven are covered under weather-based insurance.
Naidu said these measures had led to a significant rise in farmer enrolment. Andhra Pradesh ranks sixth in the country in crop insurance coverage.
“This year, we have provided insurance coverage for crops cultivated by 17.07 lakh farmers. Paddy, red gram, groundnut, cotton, chilli and maize account for 90 per cent of the total insured area. A major portion of the paddy area is in the 16 cyclone-affected districts,” he said.
He said farmers who receive both crop insurance and input subsidy can recover their investments and gain financial security.
Officials must ensure that compensation reaches every farmer who has paid the premium, he added, saying “no farmer should suffer losses.”
The CM highlighted the growing use of the Agri App and directed officials to expand its adoption.
“There are 47 lakh farmers in the state, of whom 20 lakh have downloaded the app, and around 10 lakh use it regularly. The app offers various services, and farmers should make greater use of them,” he said.
All details of crop losses should also be uploaded to the app, he added.
(PTI News)
