Himachal now insures wheat, barley crops

SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh has now brought wheat and barley crops under an insurance scheme to protect them from adverse climatic conditions, an official statement said Sunday.

The National Agricultural Insurance Scheme will cover wheat and barley crops too across the state during the 2010-11 rabi season, said the statement.

Earlier, maize, paddy, potato and ginger crops were covered. Likewise, the government last year initially launched an apple crop insurance scheme in Shimla and Kullu districts.

The Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd will insure the crops against lightning, storms, hailstorms, cyclones, typhoons, drought and pest attacks.

According the statement, the government would pay 50 percent of the insurance premium of small and marginal farmers.

Agriculture is the main occupation of the people in the state, providing direct employment to 69 percent of the workforce.

According to the states Economic Survey for 2008-09, 86 percent of the total land holdings are of small and marginal farmers, 13 percent are owned by semi-medium and medium farmers and 0.4 percent by big farmers.

More than 80 percent horticulture and agricultural activities in the state are rainfed.