SRINAGAR, SEPT 23: Kashmir’s apple growers continue to remain without formal crop insurance cover, with the Jammu and Kashmir Government informing the Legislative Assembly that the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) has not yet been implemented for horticultural crops in the Union Territory.
The Agriculture Production Department will invite fresh bids for horticultural and commercial crops after the Centre finalises revised operational guidelines for the scheme, the Government stated in the Assembly in response to a question raised by CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami.
The Government said bids had earlier been invited from empanelled insurance companies for horticultural and commercial crops. Four bids were received for traditional and high-density apple and saffron in Kashmir, while five bids were received for mango, litchi and saffron in Jammu.
The Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC) emerged as the lowest bidder for Kashmir, while Tata AIG was the lowest bidder for Jammu. In Kashmir, AIC had quoted premiums ranging between 10% and 39%, compared with 26.41% to 41% in Jammu.
For traditional apple in Budgam, Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara, the quoted premium stood at 34%, while saffron premiums in some districts ranged between 37% and 39%, exceeding the 30% threshold.
For the 2025-26 bid block, the proposed sum insured was estimated at ₹6,594.93 crore, against a total premium of ₹1,280.87 crore. The farmers’ share was estimated at ₹329.75 crore, while the Government contribution was projected at ₹950.93 crore.
The J&K Government said its share amounted to ₹182.35 crore, comprising ₹85.39 crore towards premiums within the 30% threshold and ₹96.96 crore towards the amount exceeding the threshold. The Centre’s 90% share of the subsidised premium was estimated at ₹768.57 crore.
The delay follows directions for a fresh tender covering all 20 districts of J&K. The Finance Department, in a communication dated March 16, 2026, advised the Agriculture Production Department to undertake fresh bidding to ensure administrative synchronisation, uniformity in implementation and alignment with national policy decisions.
Earlier, on February 4, the Centre had also advised J&K to prepare a fresh tender covering all 20 districts in view of proposed changes to the operational guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and RWBCIS. The revised framework was envisaged for implementation from Kharif 2026.
A Centre-appointed subcommittee constituted in September 2025 has been working to standardise insurance term sheets for major horticultural crops, including apple, banana, grape, mango and pomegranate, under RWBCIS.
The J&K Agriculture Department subsequently held discussions with the Centre and the subcommittee on June 13 and July 29 for finalisation of the apple-specific terms. The Government said both apple term sheets have now been finalised, while the subcommittee is completing the remaining work.
Once the revised guidelines are issued, fresh bidding will be undertaken in J&K, the Government said, without specifying a timeline for awarding the contracts or commencement of insurance coverage.
The continued delay leaves Kashmir’s apple growers without formal weather-based insurance protection against recurring crop losses caused by hailstorms, frost, heavy snowfall, flash floods, cloudbursts and other extreme weather events.
