Pilot on Crop Insurance Data Collection by Agri Ministry

The agriculture ministry on 5th October launched a pilot programme called Kisan where images from satellite, drone-based imaging and other geospatial technology would be used to get data on crop yields to ensure faster crop insurance claims by farmers.

Also the ministry launched an Android-based app for collection of data on hailstorms and its impact on standing crops. Minister of state for agriculture Sanjeev Kumar Balyan said “The crop insurance claim is calculated on the basis of crop cutting experiments. However, there has always been a problem in getting timely and accurate data, due to which payment of claims to farmers were getting delayed.”

Initially, a pilot study will be carried out in rice and cotton fields in four districts during the ongoing kharif season in Karnataka (Shimoga district), Maharashtra (Yavatmal), Haryana (Kurukshetra) and Madhya Pradesh (Seoni).

The pilot would also be carried out during the 2015-16 rabi or winter season in eight districts in same states to assess the crop yields of rice, wheat and shorghu. After getting reports from the pilot programme, it would be scaled up across the country.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/