Fearing that the El Niño condition is likely to damage the lemon orchards in the SPSR Nellore district, the administration has advised farmers to utilise the weather-based crop insurance scheme provided by the Government of India and the State of Andhra Pradesh.Speaking to The Hindu, District Horticulture Officer (DHO) M.V. Subbareddy said, “Lime is the major horticulture crop in the district. More than 14,000 farmers are cultivating lemons across 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres).”He stated that every lemon farmer in the district should opt for the insurance scheme. “If the lemon crop is damaged due to rainfall, temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity during the period of insurance, the farmers will be provided with an insurance of ₹1.20 lakh per hectare,” he said.The DHO further stated that the premium payable by farmers is only ₹6,000 per hectare (₹2,429 per acre). To obtain the insurance, the farmers can visit their nearest Common Service Center (CSC) or the Digital Assistant (DA) at the village secretariat.The farmers must submit their Aadhaar card, land/tenant farmer card, crop cultivation certificate, and bank account details, make the payment online, and collect the receipt. Farmers who have availed bank loans for their lime crop become eligible for this insurance scheme.The Horticulture Department advised the non-loanee farmers to also take crop insurance. The crop insurance scheme is being implemented by IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance Company Limited. The deadline for this crop insurance scheme has been extended to July 31, 2026. Published - July 28, 2026 08:21 pm IST