March 24: With the announcement of “Food Crops Insurance” by the Nepal Insurance Authority, now food crops as well will be insured on the basis of production under the agricultural insurance policy. According to the authority, crops such as paddy, corn, barley, wheat and millet will be covered under the insurance policy.

These food crop insurance policies will cover eight different types of damage, including fire, wind, water, weather, land, lightning, disease and insects, and accidental external causes.

In case of damage to food crops due to the risk covered by the insurance policy, the insured must inform the insurer within 3 days of the loss through telephone, SMS, or email.

Under the additional facility, those who have purchased the insurance policy of crops will also get the facility of accidental insurance up to Rs 200,000. Under this facility, the insured will get a maximum of Rs 200,000 in case of death of insured during the insurance period due to reasons other than suicide, irreparable loss of spinal cord due to spinal injury, loss of function of one or both arms above the wrist, loss of function of one or both legs above the ankle and loss of sight in both eyes.

However, it is not possible to partially insure food crops planted in the same area. In case of paddy and millet crops, insurance policy must be taken within 30 days of planting. In case of corn, wheat and barley crops, insurance policy must be taken within 30 days after 7 days of sowing.

According to the insurance policy, the authority has arranged that the insurance fee will be maintained at the rate of 5 percent of the insured amount in the case of rice, corn and wheat crops, and at the rate of 3 percent of the insured amount in the case of barley and millet crops.

Sarthakraj Pandey, assistant manager of Shikhar Insurance's agriculture and small insurance branch says that farmers will benefit from the insurance policy based on the production of food crops.

He said, “Insurance was issued only on the basis of the cost of food crops, due to which it was not possible for the farmers to recover the lost investment due to crop damage up until recently. Now, with the implementation of the insurance policy, the farmer's production will also be protected.”