Palakkad: More crops, including coconut and rubber, have been included in the central government's Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme, with coverage up to Rs 1 lakh per hectare. Small grains and legumes have also been included in the scheme.

With this, most of the crops that come under the insurance of the state agriculture department have been assured the protection of the central scheme.

In addition to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which provides insurance cover in case of complete destruction of crops, the scheme also provides coverage for crop damage due to climate change. The benefit can be obtained even if there is a significant reduction in yield due to weather conditions. Meanwhile, the insurance provided by the state agriculture department covers crops that have been completely damaged.

Weather-based crop insurance has been extended to all districts of the state, including Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta districts, and the Kuttanad region, where crops are destroyed by continuous floods. Details such as climate factors and mode of recording for each crop covered under the scheme will be notified in the coming days.

So far, the central scheme has covered selected agricultural crops in districts with meteorological stations. As part of expanding the project, weather stations will be set up in all panchayats.

The Ministry of Agriculture is implementing the scheme through the Agriculture Insurance Company, a sub-sector institution, with the help of the State Department of Agriculture. The central government is also considering a proposal to unify various insurance systems in the agriculture sector.

Insurance for these losses

The insurance covers losses due to lack of rain, drought, torrential rains, untimely rains, pest infestations, strong winds, and landslides. The amount will be transferred to the farmer's account.