Farmers on Friday expressed reservations over insuring crops for the Rabi 2025-26 cultivation cycle, opposing the existing system of assessing crop damages at the level of firkas, during the monthly grievance day meeting.
Pamphlets detailing the crop-wise premium under Revamped Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (RPMFBY) implemented by Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AIC) were distributed to the farmers. Farmers were told that brinjal, corriander, millets, banana, tomato, chickpea, maize and onion crops could be insured in Coimbatore district.
Demanding provision for individual claims for damage of crops, a group of farmers countered a promotional campaign by a representative of AIC by stating that the existing system was not of relevance to the farmers.
Expressing dismay over the mode of implementation of the insurance scheme, a farmer explained that the insurance scheme is not relevant to him since he faced crop damages due to destruction caused by wild boars.
The insurance scheme does not hold relevance since it is improbable for the damages to occur to crops due to natural disasters at the level of firkas, the farmers countered.
Officials stepped in with a reasoning that it was a policy matter to be decided at the level of the Central and State governments.
The insurance company, on the occasion, disbursed the claims to the extent of ₹6.87 lakh to 75 farmers in Sultanpet block who had faced a setback due to low yield of maize, in the last cultivation season. Twenty-two farmers who had cultivated millets in the block were also given compensation totalling about ₹1.5 lakh due to low yield.
Officials said the purpose of the insurance scheme was to safeguard farmers from the deleterious impact of crop yield losses due to natural risks/calamities, adverse weather conditions, pests and diseases.
Published – October 31, 2025 09:55 pm IST
