Farmers of bananas in Kathmandu seeking insurance renewal and reimbursement

After ripening, Malbhog bananas are practically sold out. Green variety G-nine and hybrid William bananas are now for sale. On Saturday, the banana farmers of Chitwan left their fields and traveled to Kathmandu, despite the hectic season of managing the market and growing new plants. Bananas were severely damaged by the windstorm that struck Chitwan in May of last year.

The insurance firm has not yet paid Chitwan's banana growers who had crop insurance for the loss that happened at that time. Furthermore, the insurance firms are currently unwilling to renew Kerakheti's policy. On Saturday, we traveled to Kathmandu to discuss these two matters. Former Chitwan Banana Growers Association president Bishnuhari Pant stated, "We met the secretary and the minister of agriculture on Sunday."

He claimed that the failure to get the promised sum and the non-starting of new insurance put the banana growers in jeopardy. How can we labor and perspire in the fields amid this confusion? As soon as the wind blows, damage happens. Former President Pant stated, "We will be upset if we can't get relief from it." On Monday, in the minister's quarters, farmers had talks with Agriculture Minister Ramnath Adhikari and officials of insurance authorities and insurance firms.

The association's outgoing president is Jagatpur banana grower Ghannath Mahato. He was on the team as well. In the Jagatpur area, the storm did not leave much damage behind. However, as of July, his banana farming's insurance period has ended. There isn't any new insurance. He raced to Kathmandu without insurance, not knowing what would happen in the event of a storm. "Otherwise, it's time to get busy with Godmail and sewage," Mahato responds.

The banana plantations in Chitwan's eastern section suffered significant damage due to a persistent windstorm that occurred from May 17th to May 20th of last year. The president of the Chitwan Banana Growers Association, Madhav Ghimire, claims that the production of bananas has lost almost 15 million rupees. He stated that it had been over a month since the company's personnel visited the banana producers' plantation to inspect and insure their produce.

However, it's unclear when the insurance payout will occur. Previously, it took more than 13 months to receive the insurance payout for Chitwan's losses related to banana farming. We had to wait a very long time for the previous sum. When will the extent of this year's destruction be realized? Chairman Ghimire voiced his worries. According to a policy, farmers will pay the remaining 20% of agricultural insurance premiums after the government pays the remaining 80%.

Because the government has not paid the premiums, the insurance firms have reacted to the banana farmers, preventing them from being paid. According to the former president Pant, they traveled to Kathmandu in order to expeditiously settle this dispute. Furthermore, even though it was stated during the budget statement that farm insurance would continue, there was a difficulty because the government withheld the premium share.

"Insurance companies in Chitwan did not start new insurance for banana farming due to confusion whether it will remain at 80 percent as before or decrease," stated former president Pant. He claimed that because the Minister of Agriculture had promised that the officials will find solutions, they went back to Chitwan on Monday feeling optimistic. Even though Chitwan's farming has been booming lately, he claimed that if these issues are not handled quickly, the farmers will go bankrupt.

The cost of a banana plant, insured by the insurance firm, is 275 rupees. The insurance provider will cover up to 90% of the loss in the event of a claim. The prize for planting one bigha of Malbhog bananas is thirty thousand 349 rupees. The farmer merely needs to give the insurance company 6,70 rupees in this case. According to Pant, the government provides a subsidy of 24,269 rupees. Farmers suffered when the government failed to pay the insurance firm the subsidy amount.