919 of 1,409 crop-cutting experiments done in Dharashiv for kharif crop insurance

Crop-cutting experiments are under way in Dharashiv district to assess kharif crops accurately and to fix production-based compensation under the crop insurance scheme. This year, a total of 1,409 experiments were fixed for eight different crops in the district.

Of these, 919 had been completed by October 15, which means 65.2 per cent of the work is done. The remaining 490 experiments are yet to be completed.

Farming in the district depends largely on rain. Irregular rainfall, drought and other natural calamities affect the yield of kharif crops. The experiments are therefore considered important for recording actual yield in the field in a scientific manner. The data they provide is used to estimate crop yield and also to fix compensation under the crop insurance scheme.

Experiments were fixed for bajra, maize, tur, soybean, urad, moong, cotton and kharif onion. According to the data received, both of the two experiments fixed for bajra have been completed. Of 503 fixed experiments for soybean, 387 are complete; of 312 for urad, 288; and of 248 for moong, 237.

For maize, 28 experiments are fixed, of which five are complete. For tur, 224 experiments are recorded as fixed, but the details received are inconsistent on how many have been completed. For cotton and kharif onion, two and 90 experiments respectively are fixed, and the report received shows zero completed experiments against both crops.

In a crop-cutting experiment, the crop on a fixed portion of a selected field is harvested and the actual yield is recorded. This information provides the data needed to determine crop productivity. The details from individual experiments are analysed to estimate crop yield.

While fixing production-based compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the actual yield of a notified crop is compared with the fixed threshold yield. Only the data from crop-cutting experiments is used in this process. It is therefore essential that the experiments are completed in the prescribed manner, accurately and transparently.

The information is also useful for estimating farm yield in the district, studying crop-wise productivity and planning future farming. Emphasis is therefore being laid on completing the remaining experiments within the stipulated time and on recording the actual yield correctly.