Sopore, May 23: Apple growers in Kashmir will likely get a weather-based crop insurance scheme within the next one-and-a-half months, with the bidding process set to begin June 1, Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar said on Saturday.
Speaking on the outskirts of Sopore, minister Dar said the scheme—covering apples and saffron—is in its final stages. “Tomorrow, the bid is going to open. We hope that in the next one or two months, the whole process will be completed and this scheme will be implemented here,” he said.
The minister said the premium will be shared between the Centre, the Union territory, and farmers. Budgetary provisions for the current year have been made.
The rollout, however, has seen delays. “We have been trying for many years. Since last year, we have been trying, but no insurance company participated in the tender. Only one company came, so it was re-tendered,” minister Dar said, adding that a revised policy from the Centre further delayed the process.
On compensation for apple growers who suffered losses due to natural disasters in north Kashmir, Dar said such cases fall under the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF), not the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF).
“Under normal regulations, every farmer gets his own compensation based on assessment—whether it is more than 50 per cent, 35 per cent, or 60 per cent,” he said.
Responding to demands for a loan waiver, the minister said the government is in constant dialogue with the Centre. “We cannot say these things publicly until something is implemented. But our effort is that we talk to the Government of India continuously on these matters,” he added.
Minister Dar also pushed for scientific farming methods, including anti-hail nets, for which the department will provide a 50 per cent subsidy. “All our farmers who come forward for hail nets, we will provide them subsidies,” he said, adding that advisories would be issued and ground teams deployed within two days.
Meanwhile, Director of Horticulture, Kashmir, Vikas Anand advised fruit growers to mechanically remove damaged portions of apple, pear, and cherry crops, attributing the loss to carbon dioxide injury.
Speaking after a visit to Sopore outskirts, Anand said spray schedules should be based on weather forecasts. “If there is no rain in the next two days, we should spray. But if it rains again tomorrow, we should not spray it. If there is rain in the next four to five days, spraying is advisable,” he said.
Anand outlined financial assistance under the HADP scheme—Rs 6 lakh per hectare for converting traditional orchards into high-density ones, with anti-hail net mandatory. Under the centrally sponsored MIDH scheme, assistance is available at Rs 2,875 per square metre for traditional orchards.
Growers seeking help, he said, can call district-wise numbers functional 24×7. “If there is no response anywhere, my number is also available on the website. All the brothers have it. They can also call me,” Anand added.
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