Stating that the indigenous farming would not be able to sustain in the 21st century, MP Lok Sabha, Neiphiu Rio has urged the farming community to approach banks for agricultural loans for smart agriculture production.
He was addressing the farmers during the one-day programme, “Farmers fair-cum-awareness programme”, organized by KVK Dimapur on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna at ICAR, Complex for NEH Region, Medziphema on March 31.
Rio also urged the villages’ chairmen to take the initiative on behalf of the farming community in approaching the bank so that the farmers could get Kissan Credit Card.
The MP also said that farmers of Dimapur with the available finance would be able to produce more rice due to the suitability of land and climate and help the farmers of neighbouring districts in attaining food sufficiency. Rio also said that in northeast region the suicide committed by farmers were negligible due to diversification in agriculture and some other elite activities of animal husbandry. Later, Rio distributed soil health cards and training certificate to the farmers and extension personnel of village functionaries.
NABARD general manager, Dr. A. Chkraborty explained the farmers about the details of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna.
He said crop insurance scheme have been in operation since long but due to several shortcomings like, very high premium rate, very low sum insured, non-coverage of losses due to localized calamities, they have not been successful. As a result, only 20% of the farmers have been covered so far and they also have faced several challenges while claiming their rightful amount, he said.
Chkraborty said that the scheme is the greatest ever assistance extended by the Government on crop insurance. As a result, it will have the lowest farmers’ share of premium while the rest of the premium burden, even if more than 90% will be borne by the Government. He also urged the farmers to get KCC through banking system.
Director NRC-M, Dr A. Mitra also appealed farmers to take the benefit of this scheme since climate change, is affecting the agriculture and allied activities.
Director CIH Medziphema, Dr Lalan Ram asked the farmers to avail the maximum benefit of the scheme for cultivation of horticultural crops, as Nagaland falls under tropical and subtropical zone with high humidity, and moderately high temperature due to changing climate. “We should work together with all the stake holder like state Agri department, bank, insurance companies to avail the benefit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna”, Dr. Lalan said.
Professor R.C. Nayak SASARD, Medziphema Nagaland University shared his experience of opening an bank account 20 years earlier in an interior village of Orissa. Dr. Bidyut C. Deka, Director, ICAR, ATARI in his remark told the farmers that due to Pradhan Mantri Jandhan Yojna opening a bank account was so easy that bankers goes to the doorstep of the farmers. He briefly explained about the benefit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna and requested the state Nodal department to play an pro active role for the benefit of farmers for this scheme,
During technical session Branch Manager, SBI Medziphema and official of New India Insurance company, Dimapur cleared all the doubts of farmers regarding Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna being implemented followed by farmers scientist interaction.
Altogether 610 farmers, government officials and others attended the programme.
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