Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
Crop Insurance at Just 2% Premium — Claim Up to Full Sum Insured

PMFBY — At a Glance

What Is PMFBY — And Why Every Farmer Should Enroll

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was launched on February 18, 2016, replacing earlier crop insurance schemes like NAIS and MNAIS. Its core innovation is a dramatically lower premium for farmers: just 2% for Kharif crops (rice, cotton, soybean, maize), 1.5% for Rabi crops (wheat, barley, mustard, gram), and 5% for commercial/horticultural crops. The remaining premium — often 50–70% of the actuarial rate — is split equally between the central and state governments.

PMFBY covers losses from prevented sowing (when you can't even plant due to drought), mid-season adversity, post-harvest losses (for up to 14 days after harvest, during threshing/drying), and localised calamities (hailstorms, landslides, inundation affecting individual farms — even if surrounding farms are unaffected).

In 2022–23 alone, over ₹13,000 crore in claims was paid to farmers across India. The average claim per farmer was approximately ₹24,000 — a sum that can make the difference between a family recovering from a bad season or falling into debt.

What Is Covered — Risks, Crops, and Exclusions

Risks Covered

• Prevented Sowing/Planting: If widespread rainfall failure or drought prevents sowing, up to 25% of sum insured is paid
• Mid-Season Adversity: Drought, flood, inundation, pest attack, disease, hailstorm, landslide during crop growth
• Post-Harvest Loss: Cyclone, unseasonal rainfall causing damage to harvested crop kept in the field for drying — up to 14 days after harvest
• Localised Calamities: Hailstorm, landslide, or inundation affecting individual farms — assessed at individual farm level, not area average

Crops Covered (Representative List)

Food crops (cereals, millets, pulses), oilseeds, and annual commercial/horticultural crops. Specific crops covered vary by state — check with your local agriculture department. Most major crops like rice, wheat, maize, soybean, cotton, sugarcane, potato, and onion are covered in their respective states.

What Is NOT Covered

• Losses from war, nuclear risks, malicious damage
• Theft of crops
• Losses from deliberate destruction by the farmer
• Perennial horticultural crops (fruit trees like mango, coconut) are covered under separate RWBCIS scheme

How to Enroll in PMFBY — Loanee and Non-Loanee Farmers

For Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Holders — Automatic

If you have a KCC (Kisan Credit Card) crop loan, PMFBY enrollment is automatic — the premium is deducted from your loan account. You receive an SMS confirmation. Verify enrollment by checking pmfby.gov.in with your application number.

For Non-Loanee Farmers — Voluntary Enrollment

1. 1
   Enroll Before the Cutoff DateKharif: July 31 | Rabi: December 31 (dates may vary by state — check with your district agriculture office). No enrollment after cutoff is permitted.
2. 2
   Visit Bank, CSC, or Apply OnlineEnroll at your nearest bank branch, Common Service Centre, insurance company agent, or at pmfby.gov.in. Provide land details (survey number, area, crop name), Aadhaar, bank account, and sowing certificate.
3. 3
   Pay Premium and Receive PolicyPremium is calculated on your sum insured and paid via bank/UPI. You receive a policy number by SMS and on the portal. Save this for claim reference.

How to File a Crop Loss Claim — Critical: Report Within 72 Hours

1. 1
   Report Immediately via App or HelplineDownload the PMFBY app (Crop Insurance app) or call the insurance company helpline (printed on your policy). Or call the national PMFBY helpline: 1800-200-7710. Report your policy number, Aadhaar, survey number of affected land, and nature/date of damage.
2. 2
   Insurance Company Conducts Field SurveyWithin 7 days of notification, an insurance company surveyor visits your farm, documents damage with photographs, and assesses crop loss percentage.
3. 3
   Claim Settlement — 45 DaysClaims must be settled within 45 days of harvest data submission by the state government. If delayed beyond this, the insurance company owes you 12% interest per year on the pending claim amount.

Real-Life Scenario — Suresh, Cotton Farmer from Vidarbha, Maharashtra

Suresh owns 2 hectares of cotton farmland in Wardha district, Vidarbha. He has a Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loan for the Kharif season 2026, so his PMFBY enrollment is automatic — the premium is deducted from his loan account without him needing to do anything. His sum insured is ₹60,000 per hectare (₹1,20,000 total). His farmer premium: just ₹2,400 (2%).

In August 2026, an unseasonal hailstorm destroys 70% of his standing cotton crop. Suresh acts immediately — he calls the PMFBY helpline 1800-200-7710 within 12 hours and reports the damage. He gives his policy number, Aadhaar, and survey numbers. An insurance surveyor visits within 5 days and photographs the damaged crop.

The damage assessment confirms 70% yield loss. Suresh receives ₹84,000 directly into his bank account (70% of ₹1,20,000 sum insured) — within 38 days of the harvest data being submitted by the state. On a premium of ₹2,400, his claim is 35 times his premium paid. This payment allows Suresh to repay his KCC loan and reinvest in the Rabi season without falling into debt.

Frequently Asked Questions — Verified May 2026

• My claim was rejected — what are my options?+
  File a grievance on pmfby.gov.in using your policy number. You can also approach the District Grievance Redressal Committee (DGRC) — chaired by the District Collector with agriculture and revenue officials — which reviews rejected claims. If still unsatisfied, approach the State-Level Crop Insurance Grievance Committee. The Insurance Ombudsman is the final escalation point for disputes above ₹30 lakh.
• Can a tenant farmer enroll in PMFBY?+
  Yes. Sharecroppers and tenant farmers are explicitly included in PMFBY. They need a land lease agreement or a certificate from the landholder confirming the tenancy arrangement. This is an important protection — tenant farmers bear the crop loss risk but historically couldn't access insurance because the land wasn't in their name. PMFBY specifically addressed this gap.
• How is the claim amount calculated?+
  For widespread losses: Threshold Yield (average of past 7 years) is compared to actual yield from crop cutting experiments. If actual yield is less than threshold, all insured farmers in that unit get a claim proportional to the shortfall. Example: if threshold is 20 quintals/hectare and actual is 12 quintals, the shortfall is 40% — insured farmers receive 40% of their sum insured as claim.
• What is the 72-hour rule and what happens if I miss it?+
  For localised calamities — hailstorm, inundation (flooding of your farm), or landslide — you must report crop damage within 72 hours of the event. If you miss this window, the insurance company may reject your claim for localised damage. For widespread losses from drought or flood assessed through area-level crop cutting experiments, individual reporting is not needed — your claim is processed automatically if the area's yield falls below threshold.
• Is PMFBY mandatory for KCC loan holders?+
  For Kisan Credit Card (KCC) crop loan holders, PMFBY enrollment used to be compulsory but states have been given flexibility. In many states, KCC farmers are still automatically enrolled with the premium deducted from their loan. For non-loanee farmers, PMFBY has been voluntary since 2020. Check with your bank at the time of KCC loan disbursement whether PMFBY has been included.
• What documents do I need to enroll in PMFBY?+
  You need: (1) Aadhaar card, (2) Bank account details (savings or Jan Dhan), (3) Land records or sowing certificate (7/12 extract in Maharashtra, Jamabandi in northern states, or equivalent), (4) Survey number of the land being insured, and (5) Crop name and area to be insured. Tenant farmers additionally need a land lease agreement or landlord certificate.
• Can I check my PMFBY enrollment and claim status online?+
  Yes. Visit pmfby.gov.in and click on "Application Status" or "Claim Status". You need your application/policy number or Aadhaar number to check. The Crop Insurance App (available on Android) also shows your policy details, premium paid, and claim status. Your insurance company's own app or website may also provide this information.
• What if I couldn't sow my crop at all due to drought?+
  PMFBY covers "Prevented Sowing" — if widespread rainfall failure or drought prevents you from even sowing your crop. In this case, you receive up to 25% of your sum insured as a claim. This is assessed at the area level (village or gram panchayat), not individual farm level. If the majority of farmers in your area couldn't sow, all enrolled farmers qualify for the prevented sowing claim.

Official Sources & Helpline Numbers

• Official PMFBY Portal: pmfby.gov.in — Enroll, check status, file grievance, track claim
• Crop Insurance App: Download on Android — search "Crop Insurance" on Google Play — for enrollment, damage reporting, and claim tracking
• Ministry of Agriculture: agricoop.nic.in — Official scheme notifications and state-specific updates
• District Agriculture Office: Your district's agriculture department office — for state-specific cutoff dates, empanelled insurance companies, and in-person assistance
• Common Service Centre (CSC): Nearest CSC/Jan Seva Kendra — for enrollment assistance if you don't have internet access
• Grievance Portal: pgportal.gov.in — File complaints if PMFBY grievance is not resolved at district level

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