Perception of Paddy Farmers towards Crop Insurance Scheme in Chitwan District of Nepal

Aims: This study aimed to assess the perception of paddy farmers toward the crop insurance scheme and to examine changes in perception before and after participation in the scheme in Chitwan district of Nepal. Study design: A quasi-experimental single-group pre–post research design was employed using a convergent parallel mixed-method approach. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in selected municipalities of Chitwan district, Nepal with pre- and post-assessments conducted in September and December 2022 respectively. Methodology: A field survey of 122 paddy farmers selected using simple random sampling, along with three key informant interviews and two focus group discussions conducted in Ratnanagar, Khairahani, Madi municipalities, and Bharatpur Metropolitan City. Farmers’ perceptions and knowledge were assessed before and after participation in the insurance scheme using a five-point Likert scale. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired t-tests and multiple linear regression, while Garrett’s ranking technique was applied to prioritize major risks in paddy production. Qualitative data were used for triangulation. Results: The results revealed statistically significant improvements in farmers’ awareness, understanding of insurance procedures, adoption behavior, and overall knowledge after participation in paddy insurance, with mean differences of −0.488, −0.407, −0.345, and −1.057, respectively (P