IMPHAL, Jan 30: The department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry services, Government of Manipur in association with Manipur livestock Development Board has organized a two days campaign for insurance of dairy cows at Ukhrul from January 28 to 29, 2011.
The campaign was concluded with a Farmers Awareness Programme which was held at district veterinary office, Ukhrul with, Tychius Vashum, project manager, IFAD Ukhrul as chief guest and Luis Ngasainoa, district agriculture officer, Ukhrul as functional president.
While delivering the key note address, Dr. Thokchom Debendra Kumar, joint director (Ukhrul) deliberated the entire beneficial objective given by the livestock insurance scheme. He said that the scheme has been launched by the Government as national programme for the welfare of the poor farmers and it provides 50 percent subsidy of insurance premium in addition to the relaxation of many of terms and conditions for insurance including the annual programme rates.
Further he told that a farmer has to pay nominal premium of 207 rupees for insuring a cow of Rs 10,000 values for one year and rupees 551 only for three years. He therefore appealed the dairy farmers to get their valuable cows insured under the ongoing livestock insurance scheme so that the price of cows can be fully compensated if they die during the insurance period.
Tychicus Vashum, in his speech told that diary farming is an integral part of their approach for community development Programmes being taken up in the villages under IFAD. So the livestock Insurance Scheme would be really helpful in removing problems of the cattle owners. He requested the farmers particularly those voluntary workers from IFAD to disseminate the important messages given by the awareness programme to their villages for the benefit of the farmers.
Addressing his presidential speech Luis Ngasainao, said that after participating the awareness programme only, he learnt the importance and benefit of the insurance scheme and he described it as a blessing for the farmers. He expressed his appreciation to learn that fifteen dairy cow’s worth about rupees four lakhs was insured during the two days campaign adding he observed the number of insuring cows can be increased if such farmers’ sensitization programme can be organized frequently even in the sub-divisional levels.
Dr. Ngaborshai Luithui, Veterinary Officer and Khaidem Phunindro Singh, Development Officer, Oriental Insurance Company, Imphal Branch also spoke during the process of insuring cows and for settlement of death claims etc.
