India

Crop Insurance to Protect Andhra Pradesh Farmers from Cyclone Arnab Losses

By Express News Service

In Vijayawada, crop insurance is being promoted as a financial safety net for farmers facing natural disasters. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has urged the implementation of the policy to safeguard farmers affected by Cyclone Arnab. Heavy rains, floods and inundation have caused significant crop damage, underscoring the need for insurance to mitigate financial losses. The Chief Minister has repeatedly emphasized that while disasters cannot be prevented, their economic impact can be reduced through adequate insurance coverage. The inundation from Cyclone Arnab highlights the importance of this mechanism, especially for farmers whose investments are at risk when crops are damaged near harvest. Under the Kharif 2026 insurance programme, the sum insured per acre is about Rs 40,000 for paddy, Rs 20,000 for red gram, Rs 90,000 for dry chilli, Rs 33,000 for maize and Rs 94,000 for turmeric. These amounts represent the coverage provided for different crops in line with scheme conditions. The PMFBY has planned 30,286 Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) to assess actual yields at the notified insurance-unit level. The yields recorded through these experiments will be compared with the threshold yield to determine eligible claims according to the scheme guidelines. Preliminary estimates show that around 4.10 lakh hectares of crops across 16 districts have been inundated due to Cyclone Arnab. Crop insurance is expected to help eligible farmers recover part of their agricultural investments, subject to the prescribed assessment procedures and scheme conditions. After verification of farmers’ enrolment details, crop cultivation particulars through e-Panta and claim eligibility, the admissible compensation will be credited directly to the bank accounts of eligible farmers as per the scheme guidelines. This support is intended to help affected farmers resume agricultural operations in the next cropping season.