Apples, cherry to get insured under NCIS in J&K

Jammu: World famous Kashmiri apple and cherry will get the insurance cover from national insurance companies under the National Crop Insurance Scheme starting in Jammu and Kashmir from this year. Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Agriculture Production Ghulam Hassan Mir on Sunday asked the insurance companies to bring the horticulture produce under the ambit of NCIS, starting with apple and cherry from this year. The Minister issued the instructions at a meeting convened to discuss the measures for economic stability of the farmers of the state through a sound system of crop insurance cover. Mir directed the authorities of the Horticulture Department to compile yearly data of horticulture produce, identify the areas prone to unforeseen natural calamities and suitable locations for installation of automated weather stations and submit the report to the departments concerned for further action. Asking the Banks to open nodal centres at block, tehsil and district levels to enable the farmers to report about the damage within 48 hours of any eventuality, he further instructed the insurance companies to work out the premium amount easily affordable by the farmers. Mir said with the revision of NCIS guidelines, it was expected that maximum number of farmers would be able to manage risk in agriculture and horticulture products in a better way. The Minister said that there are 5 lakh Kisan Card holders in the state, who are being directly benefited by various schemes launched by the government adding it is mandatory for the bankers to remain associated with the insurance companies to provide all time assistance to the needy farmers. The Agriculture and Horticulture is the backbone of rural economy adding that 80 per cent population of the State is directly or indirectly associated with the sector, Mir said. Among present in the meeting were senior government functionaries, representatives of Insurance Companies and officials of Bank authorities, Horticulture and Agriculture Departments.