Crop insurance biggest push to agri sector: Govt

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 31

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh today said the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was the biggest-ever government push to compensate farmers against damage to crops on account of calamities.

Responding to a specific question during a media briefing on achievements of the Narendra Modi government as regards the agriculture sector, he said the government had no proposal to impose income tax on this sector.

Stressing on the scheme, he said all major states, except Punjab, had implemented it. “Perhaps the farmers in the state are not at loss as the state government provided adequate power supply and irrigation facilities to prevent damage due to natural calamities,” he said.

Under the scheme, farmers pay a small premium for crop insurance. This scheme is better than the Crop Insurance Scheme that it replaced. A farmer now gets full financial security; in case he is unable to sow/transplant due to bad weather, he would be entitled to claim; for foodgrain, pulses and oilseed, there will be ‘one season, one rate’ for him.

The norms for providing relief in case of damage to crops due to calamities have also been relaxed. The government is said to be working on a four-pronged strategy to improve farmers’ lot: compensation and relief to those hit by natural calamities; reducing input costs; ensuring better marketing; and help in increasing production through technology and research.

“Prime Minister Narender Modi has chalked out a target to double farmers’ incomes by 2022,” he said.

Twenty-one markets of eight states have been linked under the e-mandi project. Proposals of 365 mandis in 12 states have already been sanctioned. The target is to establish a unified e-trading platform in 585 mandis across the country by 2018.

The other initiated listed by him include the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sainchayee Yojna (PMKSY), soil health cards, neem coated urea, agroforestry, national agriculture market, initiation of mobile app for farmers and blue revolution.

On the possibility of imposition of income tax on farm produce, he said: “Neither the Prime Minister Office nor the Agriculture Ministry has any proposal in that regard.”