Prem Jose Vazhacharickal

Veerabhadrappa Bellundagi 

Hamsa K.R 

India is an agrarian country, where half of the working population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities, for their livelihood, contributing 15.30 per cent to the country’s GDP in 2015-16. Insurance is a tool, inverse of game theory where losses suffered by few are covered from funds accumulated through small contributions made by many who are exposed to similar risk. The question of introduction of crop insurance in India was taken up for examination soon after independence in 1947. A special study to work out modalities of crop insurance was commissioned in 1947-48. World scenarioA wide range of agricultural insurance schemes based on different approaches exist in the world. The USA is currently the only country where revenue and income insurance exists. Revenue insurance is very important in USA, the 73 per cent of the premiums collected are coming from these types of insurance. In Japan there is a whole-farm insurance which covers against all climatic hazards for all crops on the farm. The Canadian system is mainly led by public insurance agencies, from the provincial governments. Indian scenarioIn 1972-73, the Department of Life Insurance Corporation of India introduced a Crop Insurance Scheme on H-4 cotton. Later many crop insurance schemes were implemented in India. At present, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was introduced. PMFBY is a crop insurance scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA Government. The scheme has been launched to cater the financial needs of the farmers in the event of crops destroyed by heavy rain, other natural calamities, pests or diseases. The scheme was implemented with a budget of Rs. 17,600 crore.The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is new scheme implemented on 1st April, 2016. The scheme is expected to replace the existing schemes like National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and Modified NAIS (MNAIS). The scheme was introduced with a slogan of ‘minimum premium’, ‘maximum insurance’ for farmers. Premium is only one point five per cent for rabi crops, two per cent for kharif crops and five per cent for commercial and horticultural crops.

Hamsa K.R

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