Shillong, July 29: Minister in-charge Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ampareen Lyngdoh on Tuesday announced the government’s decision to create more awareness on the importance of crop insurance for farmers in Meghalaya.

“(We have) decided to create awareness among farmers about the benefits of insuring their crops, just like they insure their lives and vehicles,” Lyngdoh told reporters after holding a meeting with a delegation of the Hill Farmers Union (HFU) at the secretariat here.

The minister informed that over 30,000 farmers have registered for the crop insurance scheme, exceeding the target of 25,000.

She encouraged farmers to register online by July 31 to avail of the scheme.

To ensure proper implementation, Lyngdoh said the government plans to organize block-level meetings with farmers to disseminate information on crop insurance.

Lyngdoh also noted that many farmers in Meghalaya do not own land and instead lease or rent it for crop cultivation.

Since the current insurance scheme does not cover such farmers, the minister has decided to convene an emergency meeting with banks to explore possible solutions for these farmers, many of whom have taken loans for agricultural purposes.

On the issue of deduction of agricultural produce in the markets, the minister stated that despite her efforts to address the issue, there has been no response for over a year and a half.

The minister mentioned that the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has passed a bill to address the issue. However, the rules for implementing the bill are yet to be framed, and it is unclear who will monitor the deduction of agricultural produce.

Lyngdoh assured that the government is willing to meet with the MDCs of the KHADC to find a solution. She emphasized that since this is the responsibility of the district council, she cannot bypass them.

The minister highlighted the need to sensitize farmers to cultivate high-demand crops and establish processing units. She also stressed the importance of providing training to farmers to make them more progressive.

The minister assured that the agriculture department would respond promptly to incidents of natural calamities, with farmers required to inform the Deputy Commissioner and file an FIR within 24 hours.

With regards to FOCUS, Lyngdoh clarified that the department would look into issues faced by farmers who have applied for the FOCUS scheme but have not received benefits.

The minister further announced the government’s plan to have special pricing for organic farming produces and encouraged farmers to cultivate high-demand crops. According to her, there is need to provide more trainings for farmers to make them more progressive.

Meanwhile, the minister assured the farmers that their concerns would be taken up with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers, and they should not lose hope as the government works for the people and farmers.

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