Rainfall Insurance Scheme for Coffee Growers (RISC) is likely to cover more zones in Karnataka starting from the next coffee season, a top official of the Coffee Board said. The RISC, which was launched in May 2007 jointly by the board and the state owned Agriculture Insurance Company, has covered 23 zones in Karnataka that comprises 70% of coffee growing area in the country.
Coffee Board sources said that they were working to identify 45 more zones to come under the RISC ambit.
The scheme was a first-of-its-kind in the coffee sector and witnessed good response as at least 12,000 coffee growers purchased insurance to cover monsoon risk for about 9,000 hectares falling in 23 zones. But according to preliminary estimates only 12 zones are eligible for payout. The package provides insurance protection to the extent of Rs 30,000 per hectare for arabica and Rs 20,000 per hectare for robusta. Coffee Board offered 50% subsidy subject to maximum of Rs 2,500 per hectare for arabica and Rs 2,000 per hectare for robusta to the small growers (owing 10 hectare or less of coffee) on the premium amount.
The RISC was also available without Coffee Board subsidy to all other coffee growers. To fine tune the scheme, Karnataka Planters Association (KPA) has demanded that rain gauge stations should be installed at hobli (panchayat) levels to capture the variations in the rainfall pattern in different areas within the current zones. ?This will give a clear picture of the excess or deficiency in rainfall in each area,? KPA chairman Jeffery Rebello said.