Balinese farmers insure 4,000 hectares of rice fields

As many as 4,000 hectares of rice fields belonging to Balinese farmers are included in the rice farming insurance program for the planting period of October 2015-March 2016, an official has said.

“Our previous target this year is 11 thousand hectares of rice fields, but only 4,000 hectares can be insured due to limited time,” Head of Bali Provincial Agriculture and Foodstuffs affairs office Ida Bagus Wisnuardhana said here on Sunday.

Thus, if the crop failure occurs due to floods or pest attacks after the rice fields have been insured, the farmer can get the claim of Rp6 million per hectare, he stated.

In addition, the farmers should not pay the entire premium because 80 percent of it is subsidized through the state budget. The amount of the premium per hectare is Rp 180 thousand, but 80 percent (Rp144 thousand per hectare) is covered through the state budget.

“Thus, the farmer concerned only has to pay Rp36 thousand per hectare in every planting season,” Wisnuardhana pointed out.