Farmers in drought-scarred Latur find their claims trapped in a maze of technicalities and delay. Latur district has long been hostage to the vagaries of the monsoon. With the weather being increasingly defined by erratic temperatures and monsoon patterns, agriculture in Marathwada region is fast becoming a gamble. Each season, farmers stake their livelihoods on the caprice of rain which is either too little or unseasonal, causing crops to wither or rot. The Kharif season of 2025 has followed this weary script. Erratic rainfall throughout defined the monsoon season. Long dry spells were punctuated by bursts of excessive rain in scattered pockets, leaving fields ravaged. Key crops like soybean, pigeon pea (tur), and black gram (urad) suffered heavily. In many areas, yields fell by more than half. Across Latur district, the estimated damage is said to have stretched over 2.5 lakh hectares. For a region already classified as drought-prone, the blow was particularly severe. No Compensation It is precisely for such contingencies that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) exists. Touted as a safety net for farmers, the scheme promises financial protection against crop loss. In Latur, between 3.5 and 4 lakh farmers enrolled for the 2025 Kharif season, collectively contributing along with government subsidies, an estimated Rs. 250 to Rs. 300 crore in premiums to insurance companies. The farmers thought this would be a hedge against ruin. Yet, months after the damage, that promise remains unfulfilled as despite widespread and well-documented crop losses, compensation has not reached the vast majority of farmers. Farmers claims have stalled in a maze of procedural objections. Insurance companies are citing familiar technicalities like ‘data mismatches,’ inconsistencies in survey reports, and anomalies in satellite assessments. The effect on the ground is stark. Without compensation, farmers find themselves trapped in a tightening financial vise. Debts are accumulating at punishing interest rates. The farmers’ ability to invest in the next sowing cycle by buying seeds, fertilisers or even maintaining basic inputs has been severely compromised. For many households, the absence of timely insurance payments has transformed hardship into crisis. This administrative lapse is a major failure that cuts to the core of trust. Crop insurance schemes like PMFBY are designed to reassure farmers that the state stands behind them in times of distress. When that assurance falters, the consequences extend beyond a single season. The farmer loses confidence in government schemes and their very purpose is undermined. What the government needs to do is not indulge in any further explanation for the delay in compensation but intervene swiftly by giving farmers their due. The state government must treat the situation in Latur with the seriousness it demands. Leadership at the highest levels including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has a crucial role to play in breaking the deadlock. Coordinated action between administrative authorities and insurance companies is essential to expedite the verification process and clear pending claims. More importantly, timelines to payout the overdue compensation must be enforced. Insurance, by definition, is a time-sensitive instrument. A payout delayed beyond a season risks becoming irrelevant. Direct benefit transfers to farmers’ accounts, once their eligibility has been established, should be prioritised to ensure that relief reaches those who need it most, when they need it most. As climate variability intensifies, districts like Latur will face increasing agricultural uncertainty, crop insurance schemes will become ever more central to rural resilience. But their credibility hinges not on policy design alone, but on its execution. A scheme that works on paper but falters in practice deepens the very vulnerabilities it seeks to mitigate. For the farmers of Latur, the issue is immediate. Their fields have already borne the cost of an unforgiving season. What they await now is not sympathy, but settlement. If action continues to lag, the damage will not be confined to crops or balance sheets. It will seep into the fragile compact between the state and its farmers. In Latur today, that compact hangs in the balance. (The writer is a farmer and resident of Latur district. Views personal.)
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