Archive · 21 Jan 2026
HP Pushes for Weather-Based Crop Insurance
The government of Himachal Pradesh is asking for a special insurance plan for farmers.
This plan, called the Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme, helps farmers when bad weather hurts their crops.
The director of the state's horticulture department, Vinay Singh, talked about this at a big meeting in Bengaluru.
He said that apple farming in the hills is very risky because of the weather, and the current insurance plans don't work well for these areas.
He wants the insurance to cover not just weather problems but also the actual losses farmers face when their crops don't grow as much as they should.
Himachal Pradesh's Horticulture Director advocates for the Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) at a national conference.
The scheme is considered more farmer-friendly and is being implemented in Himachal Pradesh.
Hill horticulture, particularly apple farming, faces high investment, long gestation periods, and extreme vulnerability to climatic risks.
Current uniform risk models designed for plain states are ineffective in Himalayan regions.
Insurance mechanisms should be linked to actual production losses to address substantial financial losses in adverse years.
- Who
- Vinay Singh, Director of Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Department
- What
- Advocacy for the Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS)
- When
- January 18-19
- Where
- Himachal Pradesh and Bengaluru (conference location)
- Why
- To address the unique challenges faced by hill horticulture, particularly apple farming, which is vulnerable to climatic risks and has high investment and long gestation periods.
- Location
- Himachal Pradesh
- Event
- National Review Conference on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
- Date
- January 18-19
- Location of Event
- Bengaluru
- Advocate
- Vinay Singh, Director of Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Department
- Scheme
- Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS)
- Key Crop
- Apples
- Risk Factors
- High investment, long gestation periods, climatic risks