Smart Farming

Unlock your dairy farm future now

For DeLaval smart farming is about empowering today’s dairy farmers with the decision tools and automation technologies that seamlessly integrate products, services and knowledge for better quality milk, herd management, productivity and profit.
Smart Farming is about innovation. It is about innovative - and not least integrated - decision tools and automation that support farm management.
Efficient use of resources on farm should lead to both increased revenue, in terms of higher milk production and improved cost control. And that's farm profitability, one of the key pillars of Sustainable Dairy Farming.

From milking management to total farm management

We understand that the challenge faced by dairy farmers around the world is how to meet an economic future that is already now being defined by scale and efficiency.
Your success tomorrow as a dairy farmer will be all about how you harness automation and information technology to create an on-farm integrated productivity and profit-driving system that embraces more than milking.

A range of innovative solutions

DeLaval today already offers a fast growing range of innovative automation solutions geared to revitalise dairy farming. And the way dairy farmers make optimal use of their time.
Our smart farming goal is about bringing dairy farmers the innovative ideas and technologies that already now are helping to create a more productive, sustainable and profitable future.
DeLaval is the only supplier in the industry that can provide solutions to satisfy a holistic view of farm profitability through the seven areas of Smart Farming : Know your herd, feed right, milk smart, secure milk quality, take care of your animals, make your farm a good place for your animals and your staff, and service your equipment.

7  core areas of Smart Farming

1. Managing your herd

The more you know about your herd, the more you can increase your farm’s profitability.

2. Feeding

The better you optimise feed conversion, the higher your profitability.

3. Milking your cows

By milking smarter, with lower labour costs, you win greater profitability.

4. Maintaining your milk quality

Secure milk quality; cool and clean efficiently

5. Caring for your cows

Keeping your animals in top health lifts productivity, milk quality and profitability.

6. Barn environment

Creating the best barn environment for your cows and workers enhances farm productivity and profitability.

7. Quality, performance and reliability

Service your farm. Secure functioning equipment 365 days per year.

Saffron Cultivation

Saffron is cultivated mostly in the himalayas.

The cultivation of saffron needs an extreme climate; hot and dry weather in summer and cold in winter.

The land must be dry, calcareous, aired, flat and without trees. Attributes that the Meseta of Castilla-La Mancha has, which has made it one of the most important production areas in the world.


The soil must be equilibrated in organic material in order to avoid risks of erosion, and have some depth that allows the water to drain so that the bulb is not damaged.

The sowing takes place in the months of June and July. The bulbs are placed in ridges of about 20 cm. depth. The distance between the bulbs should be of 10 cm.

The sowing of bulbs is a very hard job because it is done by hand, and forces you to walk in a bent position for hundreds of yards. A mule follows the sower with a roman plough to cover the ridges.

The harvesting takes place between the end of October-beginning of November. The rose of saffron blooms at dawn and should stay the least possible time in the plant because it withers quickly and the stigmas loose color and aroma. This is why they are gathered between dawn and 10 a.m.

Once the flowers are gathered, stigmas are separated from the rest of the flower. The fact that more than 85.000 flowers are needed to obtain just one kilo of saffron gives us an idea of how hard this work is.
 

Saffron can be well grown in Kashmir.In gujarat it can be grown only in the winter.
Saffron cultivation is done on a cyclical basis, and that after the lapse of seven to nine years, the land in question should be switched to another crop such as grains for a period of approximately seven years so that the land can restore its lost nutrients.

Studies done on the production of saffron indicate that the maturity or age of land has a direct bearing on the volume of production, and that after the lapse of approximately seven years from the outset of cultivation, the land's productivity begins to decline. However the average harvest from every hectare of land is between 20 to 25 kg under normal conditions. Between the second and the seventh year, the production would fluctuate from 5 to 20 kg per hectare, and that from every 1,000 grams of flower, some one percent or 10 grams of saffron is obtained.

The harvest of saffron requires extensive manpower, and is generally regarded as a labor-intensive endeavor and includes three stages as follows.

The harvest of saffron crop begins with picking of the blossoms and separating the stigmas from them. The harvest period is traditionally from late September to the late December. The process should begin early in the morning before sunrise, and the period within which the blossoms are at their maximum are from 15 to 20 days. The stigmas thus collected are placed in shade in a warm and dried room for five to seven days in order to dry. In some cases the drying is done in a ritual of roasting. And finally, after the stigmas are dried, they are variously packed and stored away from light and humidity.

Saffron is a sweet-smelling herb with a strong exotic aroma and a bitter taste. It is used to color and flavor a great number of dishes, extensively in pharmaceutical industry and a number of others.

Saffron has been used over the centuries as a natural coloring and aromatic in food, pastries and drinks. It is used in the making of tonic and digestive liqueurs to which it adds its golden color, as well as its lovely taste and smell. It is used in the Mediterranean and Oriental dishes particularly rice, chicken and fish. It is also used in the preparation of special kinds of English, Scandinavian and Balkan breads. In general, saffron can be used as a value adding and important ingredient of any good style or custom of cooking or eating, with no limitations in its use.

Cultivation

Saffron crocuses under cultivation in Italy.The saffron crocus thrives in climates similar to that of the Mediterranean maquis or the North American chaparral, where hot, dry summer breezes blow across arid and semi-arid lands. Nevertheless, the plant can tolerate cold winters, surviving frosts as cold as −10°C and short periods of snow cover. However, if not grown in wet environments like Kashmir (where rainfall averages 1000–1500 mm annually), irrigation is needed—this is true in the saffron-growing regions of Greece (500 mm of rainfall annually) and Spain (400 mm). Rainfall timing is also key: generous spring rains followed by relatively dry summers are optimal. In addition, rainfall occurring immediately prior to flowering also boosts saffron yields; nevertheless, rainy or cold weather occurring during flowering promotes disease, thereby reducing yields. Persistently damp and hot conditions also harm yields,as do the digging actions of rabbits, rats, and birds. Parasites such as nematodes, leaf rusts, and corm rot also pose significant threats.

Country Yield (kg/ha)
Spain 6–29
Italy 10–16
Greece 4–7
India 2–7
Morocco 2.0–2.5


Saffron plants—faring poorly in shady conditions—grow best in strong and direct sunlight. Thus, planting is best done in fields that slope towards the sunlight (i.e. south-sloping in the Northern Hemisphere), maximizing the crocuses' sun exposure. In the Northern Hemisphere, planting is mostly done in June, with corms planted some 7–15 cm deep. Planting depth and corm spacing—along with climate—are both critical factors impacting plant yields. Thus, mother corms planted more deeply yield higher-quality saffron, although they produce fewer flower buds and daughter corms. With such knowledge, Italian growers have found that planting corms 15 cm deep and in rows spaced 2–3 cm apart optimizes threads yields, whereas planting depths of 8–10 cm optimizes flower and corm production. Meanwhile, Greek, Moroccan, and Spanish growers have devised different depths and spacings to suit their own climates.

Saffron crocuses grow best in friable, loose, low-density, well-watered, and well-drained clay-calcareous soils with high organic content. Raised beds are traditionally used to promote good drainage. Historically, soil organic content was boosted via application of some 20–30 tonnes of manure per hectare. Afterwards—and with no further manure application—corms were planted. After a period of dormancy through the summer, the corms send up their narrow leaves and begin to bud in autumn. Only in October (in the Northern Hemisphere) do the plants begin to flower. Harvesting of flowers is by necessity a speedy affair: after their flowering at dawn, flowers quickly wilt as the day passes. Furthermore, saffron crocuses bloom within a narrow window spanning one or two weeks. Approximately 150 flowers yield 1 g of dry saffron threads; to produce 12 g of dried saffron (72 g freshly harvested), 1 kg of flowers are needed. On average, freshly-picked flowers yield 0.03 g of fresh saffron, or 0.007 g of dried saffron.

Saffron (Crocus sativus var kashmiriana) is a very important high value low volume condiment and a cash crop of Kashmir. Its cultivation started around 550 AD. As late as 1997-98 area under saffron in Jammu & Kashmir was about 5704 ha. Saffron being a rainfed crop suffered due to droughts like situation in the Valley, 1999-2003. As a result both area as well as productivity has reduced. It is predominantly cultivated in Pampore area of Pulwama district; some is grown in Kishtwar area of Doda district and some pockets in Budgam district. During drought period productivity reduced from about 3.0 kg/ha to 1.5 kg/ha in 2003. However, favorable rainfall during 2004-2005 situations improved and saffron production was 125 q with productivity increased to 2.5 kg/ha. Current area under saffron is 3885 ha. Average holding of saffron farmer in Pampore is 0.56 ha. Experiments on increasing saffron productivity by Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir through irrigation during reproductive phase @ 70 m3/ha every 7-10 days; application of nutrients, 20 t/ha of organic manure along with 30 : 20 : 15 NPK, use of corms of 10 g or larger yielded 3.5 kg/ha. Planting cycle in vogue is too long 7-10 years which if reduced to 4-5 years can reduce incidence of corm rot, one of the factors responsible for loss of productivity and net returns. Government of J&K proposes to launch a horizontal expansion of saffron cultivation in all the six districts of Kashmir Valley and the Kishtwar area of district Doda. Saffron is cultivated exclusively on Karewa (geological silt deposits) at an altitude ranging between 1600 to 1750m amsl.
Cost benefit analysis of saffron cultivation depending upon productivity ranges between 1:0.69–1:1.39. Cost input in cultivation of saffron is very high labor component accounts for 47 % and inputs 53 %. Labor in monetary terms on average comes to Rs 87,250/ha (1783.3 US$/ha). It is rather excessive (Tables 1, 2), demanding mechanization through appropriate tools, implements and machines which not only reduce excessive labor but remove drudgery so that educated new generation continues to practice saffron cultivation. Mechanization can also bring precision in metering and placement of inputs, help reduce unit cost of production and enhance productivity. 

Please visit to below websites to get information on saffron.

http://www.saffron-spain.com/ingles/...n.html#cultivo

http://www.indianspices.com/html/s062csfn.htm

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Croc_sat.html
 

Saffron, Zaffron

Saffron, Zaffron


<pic 01 >
Saffron [saf-fron] the spice used in oh-so-many Arabic dishes, originates from the saffron crocus, a plant which bears just three stigmas.

Described as tasting like metallic honey with grassy or hay-like notes, fresh saffron stamens are vivid crimson in colour, contain a slight moistness and elasticity. The stamens are picked and once dried are added to food and textiles to produce a rich luminous yellow-orange colour:
<pic 02 >


Cost
Saffron has long been the world's most expensive spice and is sold by weight. Saffron prices range from around US$1,100 /kg (wholesale) to US$11,000 /kg (retail), equvialent to £5,500 or €7,500 per kilogram. Saffron costs £3.80 for a ½ gram in one UK supermarket, which translates into £7,600 per kilo


"A man who is stingy with saffron is capable of seducing his own grandmother."

Norman Douglas,
English Writer (1868-1952)


Picking Saffron
Half a kilo of dry saffron requires the picking of 50,000 to 75,000 flowers (about the size of a football field)

<pic  03><pic 04 ><pic 05 ><pic 06 >

and is said to take around 20 hours. Stigmas are picked, dried and then stored in airtight containers.
<pic 07 ><pic 08 >

Saffron is graded by crocin (colour), picrocrocin (taste), and safranal (fragrance). Additional extras such as, 'floral waste content' and inorganic material for example, 'ash' also dertmine the grade.

Grading standards are set by the International Organization for Standardization, with ISO 3632 being used only to describe saffron's colour intensity.
<pic 09 >

Location
Most saffron is grown in an area of land which streches from the Mediterranean to Kashmir. Around 300 tonnes of saffron are produced worldwide each year, with Iran having the largest harvest (94 percent of world production).

America, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, Azerbaijan, India and China all produce saffron too, see map below:

<pic 10 >

N.B. the darker the colour red, the more saffron is grown (pink indicates very small quantities)


Saffron in Food
Saffron is widely used to flavour rice and meat dishes in Iranian (Persian), Arab, Central Asian, Pakistani, Indian and Turkish food, with various methods being used to extract the colour and flavour:

1 - toast; dry roast the saffron and then soak in warmed milk for about half an hour, but this can be extended to two hours. Infusion is then added to the dish
2 - soak; add saffron to warm water for about half an hour and then tip the entire contents into the food/dish
3 - add the stamens to the food directly.
<pic 11 >

"I must have saffron to colour the warden pies;
mace; dates? none, that's out of my note;
nutmegs, seven; a race or two of ginger,
but that I may beg;
four pound of prunes, and as many of raisins o' the sun."
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Act IV, scene III, 'The Winter's Tale'


Saffron Rice
2 cups basmati rice
1 teaspoon saffron threads + 3 tablespoons boiling water
6 tablespoons butter
several cinnamon sticks
1 cup finely chopped onion (fried until golden)
2 teaspoons salt
6 - 8 cardamoms, cracked open
<pic 12 ><pic 13 >



Place the saffron in a small bowl and cover with 3 tablespoons of boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes.

Wash rice until the water runs clear {see wgaw: COOKING RICE CAN TAKE SOME TIME}, put in boiling water and wait until the rice is just past al-dente.

While the rice is cooking, saute the onions until they turn slightly brown (golden)

Boil the rice until it is almost soft, but has a slightly hard bit in the middle. Remove the rice from the ring and put in a sieve. Wash the rice with cold water to stop it cooking

Dry the saucepan and add butter, ghee or margarine to the bottom of the pan and put on the ring to warm.  Add the cardamons, cinamon and the saffron and its soaking water

When the fat is melted, put the rice in the pan and warm on a low heat for an hour or so

Fluff and serve hot.


Saffron Tea
Tea is brewed as normal; tea is placed in a tea pot, however the smallest ammount of saffron is infused with the tea leaves.  Brew for upto 20 minutes and pour into small glass tea cups, with sugar being added to taste.  Leave the saffron threads in the liquid.

<pic 14 >

Storing Saffron
Because saffron is sensitive to light and moisture it should be stored in a container away from sunlight. Saffron easily absorbs other flavors and odours - be sure to clean any container before you use it to store saffron.

<pic 15 >

Historical Uses of Saffron
Saffron-based pigments were used as dyes and have been found in 50,000 year-old cave paintings in in Iran and Iraq.  Saffron has also been used as a fabric dye; Buddhist monks in India adopted saffron-coloured robes. However, the robes were not dyed with costly saffron but turmeric, a less expensive dye, or jackfruit.

Saffron threads would be scattered across beds and mixed into hot teas as a curative for bouts of melancholy. Historically, saffron's use as a drugging agent and aphrodisiac were feared.

During his Asian campaigns, Alexander the Great used saffron in his baths as a curative for battle wounds. Alexander's troops imitated the practice
Medicinally saffron has long been part of the traditional healing tradition; Sumerians used saffron in their remedies and magical potions.

Apparently modern medicine uses saffron as both an anticarcinogenic (cancer-suppressing) agent, as well as an anti-mutagenic (mutation-preventing).  Early studies show that saffron may protect the eyes from retinal stress and slow down macular degeneration.


Saffron Translated
Arabic 'Zaferan'
Farsi 'Zefrun' (in Persian,'zarparan' means a flower with a stigma which has a value equvialent to gold)
French 'Safrane'
Indian 'Zuffron'
Italian 'Zaferano'
Spanish 'Azafran'
Tamil 'Gnaazhal poo'
Turkish 'Zefrun'

5 Unique Vegetable Gardens

By Jennifer

With our greenhouse progress slowed due to heavy rain I’m stuck just thinking about gardens so I’ve decided to put together a list of 5 of the most unique vegetable garden‘s that I’ve come across online.

1. In the desert there is limited opportunity to grow your own food but over at Desertification they figured it out how to eek out a garden.  They are growing a veggie garden in plastic bottles. They’ve got how to instructions for turning your bottles into planters.
2. This adorable lofted vegetable garden keeps the dog out and the veggies in the sun (via DigginFood).
3. This shoe organizer garden is by far the simplest way to implement a vertical garden that I’ve seen yet. (via gardenUPGRADER)
4. My friend Amy at Homegrown has one of the most unique vegetable garden’s that I’ve seen. Instead of having a dedicated space her whole yard is the garden, even front steps and the bunny’s house.
5. Eva in the Garden shows off some unique garden ideas. My favorite is the tin can garden where tin cans are nailed to the wall and planted! This would be great for a small kitchen garden or an herb garden.

Agricultural insurance plans and schemes

Saturday, January 23, 2010

CROP INSURANCE SCHEME

All the agriculture plans projects and schemes are subjected to yield risks. As these are highly dependable to weather, monsoon, rainfall and other natural calamities the amount of risk is unpredictable. In India most of the agriculturists don’t have the awareness about the agricultural insurance plans and schemes provided by the Government in mitigating losses arising out of agriculture. If there is any loss due to natural calamities they demand only the writing off the agriculture credit availed. They don’t avail the mitigating mechanisms, which are readily available to protect them from unexpected losses. This article provides a basic knowledge about the available insurance facility to mitigate the risk in agriculture.

RISKS IN AGRICULTURE:

Five general types of risk are identified. They are:

1.Production risk – derives from the uncertain natural growth processes of crops and livestock.

2.Price or market risk – refers to uncertainty about the prices that will be received for

commodities.

3.Finanacial risk – rising interest rates, the prospect of loans being called by lenders, and restricted credit availability are also aspects of financial risk.

4.Institutional risk – due to uncertainties accumulated by government actions.

5.Human or personal risk – refers to factors such as problems with human health or personal relationships that can affect the farm business.

Among agricultural insurance products, crop is considered as the most important category. Other types include cattle, poultry, equipments used for agriculture etc.

INSURABILITY UNDER AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE:

The agricultural insurance policy prescribes certain conditions regarding the insurability under the policy. These include:

1.The risks should cause economic loss to the farmer covered under the policy.

2.The loss can be expressed specifically in monetary terms.

3.The risk of loss in the future can be estimated by analyzing the past data’s.

4.The loss must not be minor or negligible.

5.The insured farmer should have the financial capacity to pay the premium amount or should be eligible for government assistance.

TYPES OF CROP INSURANCE SCHEME:

The various types of risks, which are covered under the policy, include loss of the crops due to:

Natural fire and lightning, Storm, hailstorm, cyclone, typhoon etc, Flood, inundation and landslide, Drought, dry spells, Pests/ Diseases etc.

CATEGORIES OF FARMERS COVERED UNDER THE SCHEME:

The category of farmers who are covered under the policy includes:

1.All farmers growing notified crops and availing seasonal agricultural loans from financial institutions are covered on a compulsory basis. This category is referred to as loanee farmers.

2. All other farmers growing notified crops who opt for the scheme are covered on a voluntary basis.

Sum Insured:

Farmers are also allowed to insure their crop beyond the value of the yield level.

LEVELS OF INDEMNITY:

The indemnity under the scheme varies based on the nature of risks. The sche

me identifies three types of risks viz., low risk, medium risk and high risk. If the yield variation is 14 percent or less, it is considered as low risk. If the yield variation is between 16 to 30 percent, it is termed as high risk. Three levels of indemnity are available viz, 90%, 80%, and 60% for low risks.

CLAIMS SETTLEMENT UNDER CROP INSURANCE:

The claims arising out of losses under the national crop insurance schemes are shared by the implementing agency (Agriculture Insurance Corporation Of India) and the government

proportionately. This sharing is done for a period of five years till the actuarial rates get implemented. In case of food crops and oilseeds, any claims beyond 100% of premium will be borne by the government. All normal claims, i.e., claims up to 150% of premium will be met by implementing.

SUM INSURED

Farmers are also allowed to insure their crop beyond the value of the yield level.

LEVELS OF INDEMNITY

The indemnity under the scheme varies based on the nature of risks viz, low risk, medium risk and high risk. If the yield variation is 14 percent or less, it is considered as low risk. If the yield variation is between 16 to 30 percent, it is termed as medium risk and above 30 percent is termed as high risk. Three levels of indemnity are available viz, 90%, 80%, and 60% for low risks.

CLAIMS SETTLEMENT UNDER CROP INSURANCE:

The claims arising out of losses under the national crop insurance scheme are shared by the implementing agency (Agriculture Insurance Corporation Of India) and the government proportionately. This sharing is done for a period of five years till the actuarial rates get

implemented. In case of food crops and oilseeds, any claims beyond 100% of premium will be borne by the government. All normal claims, i.e. claims up to 150 % of premium will be met by implementing agency and claims beyond 150% shall be paid out of corpus for a period of three years. After this period of three years, claims up to 200% will be met by the implementing agency and any claims above this will be met out of corpus fund.

Implementing agency makes the settlement of claims in the case of normal losses for annual commercial or horticultural crops. This includes the claims up to 150% of premium in the first three years and 200% of premium there after subject to satisfactory claims experience. The claims beyond 150% of premium in the first three years and 200% of premium there after shall be paid out of corpus fund for a period of three years. After this period of t

hree years, claims up to 200% will be met by the implementing agency and any claims above this will be met by out of corpus fund. Implementing agency makes the settlement of claims in the case of normal losses for annual commercial or horticultural crops. This includes the claims up to 150% of premium in the first three years and 200% of premium there after subject to satisfactory claims experience. The claims beyond 150% of premium in the first three years and 200% of premium thereafter shall be paid out of corpus fund. However, the period of three years mentioned for this purpose will be reviewed on the basis of financial results after the first year of implementation. The period will be extended to five years in case of necessity.

PILOT CROP INSURANCE SCHEMES

The first pilot crop insurance scheme was introduced in the year 1978-79. This scheme functioned till 1985 when the comprehensive crop insurance scheme was formulated. The nine states where the pilot schemes were implemented were Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE SCHEME (NAIS)

(RASHTRIYA KRISHI BIMA YOJANA-RKBY)

The Objectives Of the Scheme:

Ø Provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of the failure of any of the notified crop as a result of natural calamities, pests & diseases.

Ø Encourage the farmers to adopt progressive farming practices, high value inputs and higher technology in Agriculture.

Ø Help stabilize farm incomes, particularly in disaster years.

RISKS COVERED

Under the scheme, comprehensive risk insurance is provided to cover yield losses due to non-preventable risks, viz.

a. Natural Fire and Lightning

b. Storm, Hailstorm, Cyclone, Typhoon, Tempest, Hurricane, Tornado etc.

c. Flood, Inundation and Landslide.

d. Pests/Diseases etc.

PREMIUM SUBSIDY

A 50% subsidy in premium is allowed for Small and Marginal farmers, which is shared equally by the Central Government and State or Union Territory Government.

PILOT SCHEME ON SEED CROP INSURANCE (PSSCI)

Objectives of the scheme:

Ø To provide financial security and income stability to the seed Growers in the event of failure of seed crop.

Ø To build confidence in the existing seed growers and stimulate participation of new growers to undertake seed production program of newly released hybrid/ improved varieties.

Ø To provide stability to the infrastructure established by the State owned Seed

Corporations/ State Farms.

Ø To give a boost to the Modern Seed Industry to bring it under Scientific Principles.

The Compensation payable is on the basis of the graded scales are as follows:

Ø Failure of seed crop within one and half months of sowing and until the crop is harvested, the compensation will be 80% of the sum insured corresponding to the rejected area.

Ø Failure of seed crop after one and half month of sowing and until the crop is harvested, the compensation will be 80% of the sum insured corresponding to the rejected area.

Damages to the harvested seed crop due to operation of the above- mentioned perils while lying on the field but before removal from the field for transportation to the processing plant are covered under the scheme.

FARM INCOME INSURANCE SCHEME:

The objectives of the scheme are as follows:

Ø To provide financial support to farmers, in the event of loss in income from adverse incidence of Crop Yield (On account of natural calamities, pests and diseases) and Market Price fluctuations.

Ø To encourage the farmers to adopt prudent and progressive farming practices, both in terms of agricultural technology, and market economics.

Ø To enhance food and livelihood security of the farming community.

Ø To help stabilize farm incomes, particularly in diseaster years.

Sum Insured

The Sum insured is computed on the basis of Guaranteed Income per hectare:

Guaranteed Income (per hectare) = Average Yield of past 7 years * Indemnity Level * Minimum Support Price (MSP) or current year.

Premium Subsidy

Ø Small/ Marginal farmers: 75% of Premium

Ø Other farmers: 50% of Premium

RURAL INSURANCE SCHEMES: CATTLE INSURANCE

COVERAGE:

The insurance scheme is offered to protect owners of animals mentioned above from any natural hazards and to provide compensation to the owners of the animal when loss occurs. The insurance cover can be obtained by regularly paying small amounts called premium to the insurance company. Thus by taking a cattle insurance policy big losses befalling the few cattle owners are shared by the insurance company thereby protecting the owner.

SUM INSURED:

The sum insured depends upon the type of animal and breed such as cow, buffalo, local breed, pure breed or crossbreed. The sum also depends on the age, sex and health of animal.

POULTRY INSURANCE POLICY

Poultry means domesticated species of birds reared for eggs, meat or feathers and includes chicken, ducks, geese, turkey, etc. The poultry insurance policy provides indemnity against death of birds due to accident or diseases. The policy covers death due to fire, lightning, flood cyclone, earthquake, etc. The term poultry includes layers, broilers and parent stock.

PERSONAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME FOR POOR FAMILIES:

The scheme was introduced by the central government with a vision of rehabilitating poor families affected by death of its earning member who is not covered for compensation under any insurance scheme or any law/statute. The scheme was operated through GIC and its subsidiaries in co-ordination with the respective state governments. Now the public sector companies and state governments are handling the scheme. Initially it is introduced only in certain select districts.

SERICULTURE INSURANCE (MULBERRY SILKWORM CROP INSURANCE)

The scheme is applicable to univoltine/bivoltine/pure or hybrid races of mulberry silkworm crops. The scheme covers the worm from egg stage to cocoon i.e., from the time the eggs are purchased by the farmers till the cocoons are harvested.

MARKET AGREEMENT ON AQUACULTURE (SHRIMP) INSURANCE SCHEME

The Scheme is applicable to duly licensed arms or farms in accordance with the government notification growing brackish water shrimp/fresh water prawns by adopting extensive/modified extensive/semi-intensive system only.

HONEY BEE INSURANCE

The honeybee insurance covers beehives and/or colony belonging to cooperative societies. Bee colonies of Indian honeybee and Italian honeybee only shall be covered under the scheme. It covers accidental loss or damage to be hives and / or colony including terrorism. Paying an additional premium can also cover theft risk. The policy can be availed by co-operative societies, banks (for their members), loaners, units etc. The scheme provides both basic cover and additional cover. The Honeybee Insurance Policy will pay 80% of the claim amount by considering the total cost.

RABBIT INSURANCE

The insurance scheme is available for rabbits, which are aged between 3 months and 3 years. The premium is payable at 7% of the sum insured per annum.

ELEPHANT INSURANCE

Elephants are categorized in to temple elephant and others. Temple elephants include those aged between 5 and 60 years. The premium under this category is charged at 4.50% of the sum insured. The other category includes those aged between 5 and 60 years and above 60 and up to 65 yrs. The premium per annum is 5.00% and an additional premium of 0.5% is charged for each additional year.

SHEEP AND GOAT INSURANCE

The sheep and goat insurance policy coverage and other procedures are almost the same as that of the cattle policy. The sum insured and the indemnity amounts are same as the cattle insurance policy.

PIG INSURANCE

Poor people usually do pig rearing and thus the insurance policy assumes significance. In India, Uttar Pradesh is at the foremost position in the production of pork. The insurance coverage is available for those people who buy pigs under the IRDP schemes.

CAMEL INSURANCE

Insurance of camels assumes significance in places where they are used for different types of draught work. Camels are used for transportation purposes in hot, arid and sandy regions. One fourth of the world’s camel population is in India and thus the policy has significance in the country. The policy excludes all the common risks mentioned in the cattle insurance policy.

AGRICULTURAL PUMP SET INSURANCE

Agricultural pump set insurance policy is applicable to centrifugal pump sets and submersible pump sets. The maximum capacity of the pump set that is covered under the policy is 25 H.P. The policy gives cover only for those sets which are used for agricultural purposes and are made by approved manufacturers.

INDIAN AGRICULTURISTS POINT OF VIEW

1. The premium payable is not refundable. So they feel that it is a waste of money.

2. The government agencies do not educate them properly.

3. They feel that this is for the benefit of the government and the Insurance Companies only.

4. They feel that the premium payable is not affordable.

5. They feel that it is the responsibility of the government to clear off their losses.

6. They believe that the government will and should take up the responsibility every year.

7. They believe that the agricultural losses are impossible to mitigate.

So most of the borrowers of agricultural credit do not have the habit of repayment. It accumulates the overdue and ends in non-performing assets for the District Central Co-operative Banks (DCCBs) in India. In order to save the DCCBs the government agencies should come forward to educate the needs and uses of available agricultural insurance plans and schemes to mitigate their risks. All such facilities must me simplified and the premiums must be made affordable for the poor farmers.

By : Harsh Saxena