Performance of Crop Insurance Scheme in Udaipur District of Rajasthan§

The study has assessed the performance of crop insurance scheme on beneficiary and non-beneficiary farms in Salumber tehsil of Udaipur district during 2008-09. The study has revealed that farm income per family is higher on beneficiary farms as compared to non-beneficiary farms. The progress of crop insurance scheme in Rajasthan has been found positive, as is evidenced through compound and linear growth rates. In the Udaipur district, the progress of crop insurance scheme has been found positive, except the claim passed to the number of farmers and amount of sum insured. At the overall level, the total area insured under the crop insurance programme has been only about 45 per cent of the total cropped area of the beneficiary farms. Use of inputs such as human and bullock labour, seed, manures, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. has been found significantly higher on beneficiary farms than non-beneficiary farms. The beneficiary farmers have invested more on hired human, machine and bullock labour, seeds, manures, fertilizers, chemicals, etc. mainly because of guaranteed compensation from the crop insurance scheme. Positive elasticity for area in maize and wheat crops in both the beneficiary categories has indicated the scope of further use of this input to increase crop production and gross income. The majority of beneficiary farmers have been found satisfied with crop insurance scheme; however, they have shown discontent towards delay in payment of claim, present basis fixing compensation and inadequate payment of compensation. The same response for these shortcomings has been reported by non-beneficiary group also.