Crop Insurance Becomes the Flashpoint in Kashmir’s Orchards
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In Shopian, a district known for its fruit-growing backbone, farmers and political workers were detained during a protest demanding crop insurance for damaged crops. The grievance is simple enough to fit on a seed tag: when orchards are hit by weather and losses pile up, growers need a way to recover before the next season swallows them whole.
The protest centered on calls for a functioning crop insurance scheme and government assistance for damaged orchards. Former legislator Ajaz Ahmad Mir reportedly said he had been placed under house arrest during the agitation, and protestors argued that climate change is making farm losses less occasional and more routine. That’s the part farmers around the world will recognize — the “once-in-a-generation” event now seems to visit every few years, like an unwelcome relative with muddy boots.
For orchard growers, insurance is not just paperwork. Trees are long-term investments. A wheat field can be replanted next season, but an apple orchard represents years of pruning, irrigation, grafting, labor, and waiting. When hail, untimely rain, drought, or pest pressure damages a perennial crop, the financial wound can stretch far beyond one harvest.
This is why crop insurance design matters so much. If coverage is too narrow, payouts too slow, or enrollment too complicated, farmers lose trust. And trust is the real currency in any risk program. A safety net that arrives after the farmer has already sold livestock, borrowed heavily, or abandoned inputs is like closing the barn door after the bull has joined the parade.
The practical takeaway for producers everywhere is to keep pressing for risk tools that match local realities. Weather patterns are changing, and insurance schemes built for yesterday’s climate may not cover tomorrow’s losses. Whether in Kashmir’s orchards, California’s vineyards, or Midwest corn country, the farm-policy conversation is shifting from disaster relief after the fact to resilience before the damage is done.
Original source
The Times of India - Read original articleMore from today's edition
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