Satisfaction Level of Insured Farmers about Crop Insurance Schemes in Northern Karnataka

Abstract

Universally agriculture is perceived to be synonymous with risk and uncertainty. Agricultural insurance is one of the risk management strategies to overcome risk to the greater extent. It helps in stabilization of farm production and income of the farming community. Crop insurance will not only helps the farmers to withstand the shock from uncertain situations but also acts as incentive to use the resources efficiently and achieve higher level of productivity. The study was conducted in Karnataka State during the year 2017-18 by using the "Ex-post- facto” research design. Belgavi, Dharwad, Haveri and Vijayapura districts were selected purposively based on more number of insured farmers. Further, two taluks from each district and from each taluk three villages (i.e. total 24 villages) were selected randomly. The sample size for the study was 240. The findings of the study revealed that fifty-one per cent (51.67%) of the insured farmers had low level of satisfaction with respect to crop insurance schemes followed by medium (32.92%) and high (15.41%). The variables such as education, land holding, annual income, extension contact and mass media exposure exhibited positive significant relationship at five per cent level of probability with the satisfaction level of insured farmers. The coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.450 which indicated that 45.00 per cent of the variation in satisfaction level of insured farmers was together explained by all the independent variables. In the present study farmers satisfaction was found to be low. Thus, concerned officers should conduct awareness programmes, inform the farmers on or before conducting the Crop Cutting Experiment, make the loss assessment procedure flexible and hassle free and disperse the claim before starting of the next season.