Kathmandu. Livestock farmers are suffering losses worth rs 15 billion annually due to lack of effective measures to control infectious diseases in livestock.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, around Rs 7 billion is lost annually due to khoret diseases and around Rs 8 billion due to various parasitic diseases.
The Ministry has mentioned this figure of damage in the preamble of the draft bill to control infectious animal diseases, 2082, under the heading related to the economic and financial impact of the provisions of the bill.
According to the National Agriculture Census-2078 BS, only 4 percent of nepal’s total agriculture is covered under the insurance cover. Cattle account for 84 per cent, pulses 8 per cent and poultry insurance 4 per cent.
According to the Crop and Livestock Insurance Guidelines, 2077 BS, non-life insurers have to insure at least 5 per cent of the total insurance. Apart from this, the government also provides subsidy of 50 to 80 percent of the total insurance fee to the farmers of agriculture insurance (including livestock insurance).
The scope of agricultural insurance has not been expanded even after providing subsidy along with the policy arrangement.
Nepal Insurance Authority (NEA) has not been able to force non-life insurers and micro-insurers on policy basis. Also, adequate initiatives and programs have not been implemented at the policy level to expand the scope of agricultural insurance in coordination with the three levels of government.
