Advance compensation for rain-affected Kuruvai paddy farmers, T.N. Agri Minister urges insurance companies

Tamil Nadu Minister for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam on Tuesday instructed insurance companies to disburse compensation in advance to farmers whose Kuruvai crops, insured under the crop insurance scheme, were affected by rain.

According to a press release, the Minister chaired a review meeting at the Secretariat with officials and representatives from insurance companies.

The Minister said the northeast monsoon had intensified in the State, causing heavy rainfall in several districts and damaging Kuruvai paddy crops that were ready for harvest. The State government is taking steps to assess the damages. A total of 13,140 out of 18,520 crop damage assessments have been completed, while the remaining 5,380 will be completed soon.

The Minister also instructed insurance companies to ensure that compensation for eligible notified villages, which is usually given in January, is credited directly to farmers’ bank accounts from December 2025.

So far, samba paddy has been cultivated on 16.16 lakh acres across the State. Since only a limited number of farmers have insured their crops, the Agriculture Department is taking steps to expedite enrollment under the crop insurance scheme, he said and urged farmers to insure their samba crops at the earliest.

The Minister also directed officials to intensify awareness campaigns to encourage farmers to insure their samba crops, the press release added.