Insure paddy before November 15: TN govt tells farmers

CHENNAI: The State government has asked paddy cultivators to insure their crop before November 15.

The State Agriculture Department has set November 15 as deadline for farmers of Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, Madurai, Pudukottai, Karur, Salem, Tirupur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Theni, Ramanathapuram, Tiruchy, Ariyalur, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Perambalur, Sivagangai, Cuddalore, Tiruvallur and Erode to insure their Samba crop.

The government has asked paddy farmers of Kanniyakumari, Dindigul, Virudhu Nagar, Namakkal, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts to insure their crop before December 15 as they took up plantation of the second crop a little late.

The State government has made a budgetary allocation of Rs 2,339 crore for the financial year 2022-23 to implement the crop insurance scheme in the State.

According to a statement issued by the government, Of the 24.13 akh acres of paddy cultivated in the current Samba and Thaladi season, about 5.90 lakh acres of 10.38 lakh farmers have been insured in the state. It is not possible to insure the crops after they are damaged by the fast intensifying northeast monsoon. Hence, the farmers are requested to insure their paddy at the earliest without waiting for the deadline, the statement added.