SRINAGAR, May 30 : Government in Kashmir has compensate farmers for losing their crops due to natural causes, but only if the damage was more than 50 per cent.
Severe cold due to snowfall in the upper reaches, heavy rainfall coupled with hailstorm severely affected the apple, vegetable and other crops, which were in blooming stage in Kashmir.
“Under the policy, no compensation will be paid to less than 50 per cent damage to crops from the Natural Calamity Fund (NCF),” Agriculture minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said.
The government has asked the Financial Commissioner, Revenue, to assess the damages caused to Horticultural and Agricultural crops due to frequent hailstorms in different parts of the valley during past few weeks.
About crops insurance, Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said the Kashmir valley was neglected because of about two decades of turmoil.
“We have taken up this issue at highest level,” he said, adding during his visit to some foreign countries he saw the same situation with regard to crops insurance there.
He said more than 80 per cent people were directly or indirectly involved in agriculture and horticulture, a mainstay of economy of Jammu and Kashmir.
