Livestock insurance scheme fails to attract Kaski farmers

POKHARA, March 23: Crops and Livestock Insurance scheme of the government has failed to attract farmers in the district.

Many farmers know nothing about the scheme. Those, who have heard about the scheme, do not know who to approach to benefit from the scheme.


Faud Singh Bhandari of Batulechaur is into poultry farming for the past three years. He has 1,500 broiler chickens in his farm. Bhandari, who earns more than Rs 100,000 a year from poultry farming, do not have much information about crop and livestock insurance scheme launched by the government.

"I have heard that the scheme is beneficial for farmers like us. However, I don't know the process to apply for the scheme," said Bhandari.

Similar is the case with Purna Bhandari of Nirmalpokhari. Though Purna has been doing poultry farming for the past eight years, he never realized the necessity to insure his fowls.

The government provides up to 75 percent subsidy in premium for doing crop and livestock insurance.

More than 10 youth of Nirmalpokhari are involved in poultry farming. Purna said all of them do not have detailed information about crop and livestock insurance scheme. "The government has failed to make farmers aware about the scheme and its benefits," said Purna.

The government had introduced the scheme three years ago in a bid to attract more farmers toward commercial farming. In the first year, it had allocated Rs 30 million to give 50 percent subsidy in premium for crop and livestock insurance policies bought by farmers. After the budget remained unspent, the government raised subsidy to 75 percent this year and allocated Rs 60 million for the purpose. Despite this, many farmers are still unaware of the benefits that the scheme brings.

Birendra Bahadur Hamal, an insurance expert with Siddhartha Insurance, which has been assigned the responsibility to promote crop and livestock in Kaski, said local farmers are still in confusion. "Even though the scheme is beneficial for farmers, they have not approached insurance agents as they do not have sufficient information about the scheme and its benefits," he added.

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