Telangana: Mandatory crop insurance from Kharif season

The minimum support price operations were off to a start much early this year and realisation of procurement targets was way ahead compared to last year.

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageshwar Rao said on Wednesday that the State government would implement a crop insurance scheme covering every crop from the Kharif season at a cost of Rs.3000 crore per annum. In an official release here, he said the government would be paying the premium for the insurance scheme on behalf of the farmers.

The farmers were benefited by the fair practices put in place by the government this year for procurement of paddy. Farmers had hither to been losing substantially because of “Talu” practice. The millers had been deducting seven to ten kg per quintal on the plea that immature grain or content of husk was of no value for them. Millers who had been adopting such practice were being dealt sternly. The farmers were benefited by Rs.150 to Rs.200 per quintal because of the drive against cuts in the name of “Talu’. The farmers were generally of the impression that the procurement system this year was far better.

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The minimum support price operations were off to a start much early this year and realisation of procurement targets was way ahead compared to last year. The monitoring and surveillance at the procurement centres was stepped up by appointing IAS officers in-charge of the operations in each district. The farmers were losing heavily in the past on interest for their money held by the Civil Supplies Corporation due to delayed payments for the paddy purchased from them. Now the payments were being made within five days instead of taking 45 days as was the case earlier. The government was firm on purchasing rain soaked grain from the farmers without any restrictions, he added.