Crop insurance a step closer for India’s flue-cured tobacco growers

India is said to be closing in on a crop insurance plan for flue-cured tobacco growers, according to a Business Standard story relayed by the TMA.

The Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, D. Purandeswari, said recently that the central government was close to finalizing a plan under which 50 per cent of the premium would be paid for by the central government, 25 per cent by the state government and 12.5 per cent each by the Tobacco Board of India and the farmers.

The board has been lobbying the government to provide crop insurance to growers. Meanwhile, on November 16, the minister officially inaugurated the first electronic flue-cured sales at the Periyapatna tobacco auction platform in the district of Mysore, Karnataka.

Responding to a question about raising Karnataka’s flue-cured crop size, she said a meeting would be convened inNew Delhito discuss issues such as crop size, the reduction of over-production penalties, and the expansion of electronic sales.