AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed Agriculture Department officials to complete 30,286 Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) and make the results available by the end of November, stressing that timely crop insurance settlements are essential to protect farmers from losses caused by natural calamities.
During a teleconference with officials on Tuesday, Naidu said crop insurance must serve as a protective shield for farmers and tenant farmers. He called for awareness programmes and clear guidelines at the field level to ensure that farmers understand and benefit from the scheme.
He said Cyclones Arnav and Murusu had affected the state in quick succession this season, causing significant agricultural losses. For the current Kharif season, the government has notified 22 crops for insurance. Yield-based insurance is being provided for 15 crops and weather-based coverage for the remaining seven.
Andhra Pradesh ranks sixth nationally in crop insurance coverage, with 17.07 lakh farmers insured this year, Naidu said. Paddy, red gram, groundnut, cotton, chilli and maize account for 90 per cent of the total insured area. A major share of the paddy cultivation area is in the 16 cyclone-affected districts.
The Chief Minister said the government was also providing input subsidies to farmers. Coordinating these subsidies with crop insurance would help farmers recover their cultivation investments and improve their financial security.
He directed officials to ensure that all farmers who had paid their insurance premiums received the compensation due to them. Improper settlement of claims could leave farmers facing severe losses, he cautioned.
Naidu also called for wider adoption of the Agri App. Of the 47 lakh farmers in the state, around 20 lakh have downloaded the app, while 10 lakh use it regularly, he said.
He asked officials to enable crop loans through the app and ensure that details of crop losses were uploaded onto it. The platform offers several services that farmers should be encouraged to use, he added.
Despite elections being under way, the government was focusing on issues concerning farmers, Naidu said, asking Agriculture Department officials to maintain their efficiency in implementing crop insurance.
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