Crop insurance not included in election manifestoes

Sankhuwasabha, May 8: Farmers in Sankhuwasabha have been facing loss of millions of rupees due to damage of crops caused by various natural calamities. Even though crops worth millions of rupees are destroyed every year, no one has paid attention to crop insurance.

While the election activities are on the rise in the district, the manifestoes of the political parties do not even include the crop insurance scheme.

Some local governments have been distributing small amounts of relief after crops damaged by wildlife and hailstorms. But no one seems to be interested in securing investment in agriculture for farmers by insuring crops.

In Chichila Rural Municipality of the district, hailstorms cause damage worth millions every year. This year alone, hail storms in October and April have damaged food grains, cash crops and livestock.

The hailstorm in October had completely destroyed the paddy while the hailstorm in mid-April destroyed the maize and cardamom in the field. But the manifesto of any political party in Chichila Rural Municipality does not include a crop insurance plan.

Similarly, crop insurance has not been mentioned in the manifestos of political parties, including Silichong, Bhotkhola and Savapokhari Rural Municipalities. 

In these municipalities, hailstorms and wild animals have been causing damage to crops every year.

Even if the farmers incur a loss of millions of rupees, they will not get compensation from anywhere due to lack of insurance.

In Sankhuwasabha, even though some farmers have insured animals, the number of crop insurers is zero.

Even though the Insurance Board has directed Lumbini General Insurance to insure livestock and crops in Sankhuwasabha, the number of crop insurers is zero, said Deepak Pokharel, branch chief of Lumbini General Insurance, Sankhuwasabha.

Pokharel said that even though one farmer had taken crop insurance last year, it is zero this year.

There is a provision of paying a 5 per cent premium of the total cost while insuring the crop. The government has been providing 80 per cent of the premium to be paid as subsidy and the remaining 20 per cent is to be paid by the farmers.

Farmers said that they are not aware of the facility to pay a small amount of money when insuring crops.

Cardamom farmer Lakpa Sherpa of Chichila Rural Municipality said that the insurance companies and the municipality should spread awareness about crop insurance among farmers.

Sherpa said that the capable farmers should pay the insurance amount themselves and the poor should be given subsidies by the rural municipality.

He also said that the local government would not be burdened to distribute relief if all the farmers were insured.