Pre-Budget Talks: Farm Experts Urge Sitharaman For Crop-Insurance Overhaul, R&D Push (Photo by Abdulla Dhahri on Unsplash ) Show Quick Read Summary is AI Generated. Newsroom Reviewed

In the run-up to Budget 2026, agriculture experts, including Ajay Vir Jakhar, chairperson of Bharat Krishak Samaj, have urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to overhaul India’s farm support systems, calling for a shift toward more "direct, effective and transparent" farm support.

Jakhar’s top recommendation is a complete re-conceptualisation of crop insurance. He said the Union government's current system, where it covers 90% of the premium under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, failed to deliver satisfaction to either farmers or states.

Instead, he proposed replacing the PMFBY with a crop compensati

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