Archives

Special insurance scheme for potato farmers

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The Agriculture and Livestock Ministry for the first time has implemented a special insurance scheme for potato farmers with the intention of uplifting their living conditions and increasing local potato production.

Initially, the Ministry in association with the Agrarian Insurance Board will operate this insurance scheme as a pilot project in Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts. According to the progress achieved, this insurance scheme will be expanded islandwide, Minister S.B.Dissanayake said.

Under this insurance scheme, if any natural disaster or damage affects the potato harvest of farmers, they will be paid compensation. In future, more insurance coverage will be given to the farmers, the Minister said.

According to the number of acres cultivated, the expected instalment and coverage for one cultivation season will be in two stages. Farmers who are in Lindula Govijana Seva region should pay a Rs. 5,000 instalment per one acre and they will be provided a Rs.100000 coverage. A Rs. 5,500 instalment has to be paid by the farmers in Nuwara Eliya Govijana Seva region per acre and they have been given Rs.110000 coverage.

Meanwhile, the farmers who have cultivated potatoes in Ragala, Nildandihinna, Walapane, Munwatta, Maturata, Mandarampura, Rikillagaskada, Bulugahapitiya, Helboda, Ginigathhena, Vidulipura and Badulla district have to pay a Rs.3250 instalment. These farmers are entitled for Rs.75000 coverage.

Minister Dissanayake said the coverage and the instalment will be decided on the number of cultivated lands and it will be charged according to the Govijana Seva regions. Of these two coverages, the farmers have the right to select one.

The insurance scheme has also named several strains of potatoes which come under this scheme. The Agrarian Insurance Board has educated farmers to cultivate strains of potatoes which have been nominated by this scheme.

The Minister said a special program will be implemented to produce potato seeds locally to increase the local production of potato. Under the technical instructions of the Agriculture Department and experts of the Seethaeliya Seed Potato Farm, potato farmers will be educated to produce seed potato. The Ministry will purchase such seed potatoes produced and will distribute among the farmers.

According to this program, seed potatoes needed by farmers will be produced locally within the next three years. In addition, the Ministry hopes to give the necessary powers to the Agriculture Department to control the prices of vegetable seeds and agrochemicals which have been increased by the private traders according to their will, he said.

If any problem arises regarding this, a new company will immediately be registered under the Agriculture Department to distribute seeds and agrochemicals to the farmers through the Govijana Seva Centre. This would help bring down the prices of seeds and agrochemicals by 300 per cent directly benefitting the farmers, the Minister added.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager