Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): PM Crop Insurance Scheme For Farmers

In a country where over 70% of people depend on agriculture for their livelihood, ensuring the well-being of our farmers is crucial. The Kisans of India work tirelessly to produce the food that feeds us all. We always wonder if the government has something special for them. Yes, they do! To protect them from unexpected setbacks like floods, etc the government has introduced the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

PMFBY scheme safeguards farmers’ crops and incomes through a simple and effective insurance plan. With the motto “One Nation, One Crop, One Premium,” PMFBY provides uniform insurance coverage for crops across India.

Let us introduce you to the benefits of this crop insurance scheme!

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana- PMFBY Scheme Details

The PMFBY launch date is 18 February 2016.

Largest crop insurance scheme in India’s history and the world’s third-largest by premium:

• 29.19 crore farmer applications have insured their crops under the PMFBY scheme since 2016.
• Over ₹95,000 crore in claims paid to farmers since 2016, with a total premium of ₹17,000 crore paid by them.
• It has the lowest premium rates:

2% for Kharif crops, 1.5% for Rabi crops, and 5% for annual commercial/horticultural crops.

It aims to provide insurance and financial support to farmers if their crops fail due to natural disasters, pests, or diseases.

The objectives are to:

• Stabilise farmers’ income so they can continue farming.
• It encourages kisans/farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices.
• The PMFBY scheme ensures that farmers have proper access to the credit flows meant for the agriculture sector.

Do you know who actually runs this crop insurance scheme?

PM Crop Insurance For Farmers

The PMFBY Scheme works through a multi-agency framework. The selected insurance companies manage it.

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) provides guidance, and the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) oversees its work. 

The Government of India (GOI) is the ultimate authority involved.

It also involves the coordination of various state agencies and financial institutions. These include commercial banks, co-operative banks, regional rural banks, and their regulatory bodies. Additionally, it works with government departments.

The government departments include:

Agriculture, Cooperation, Horticulture, Statistics, Revenue, Information/Science & Technology, and Panchayati Raj.

PM Crop Insurance: Enhanced Service Delivery Through Digital Integration

PM Crop Insurance is an integrated IT solution and a web-based ecosystem. This system enables farmers to receive faster insurance services.

The Government is working to integrate all stakeholders—farmers, insurance companies, financial institutions, and government agencies—onto a single IT platform.

The PM crop insurance portal has digitised the notification. This includes areas, crops, and schemes, facilitating easy access to information for farmers.

Risks Covered Under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna

This crop insurance scheme covers multiple types of risks!

Here is a list of all of those!

Yield Losses

PMFBY offers insurance to cover crop yield losses due to unavoidable risks.

These include:

• Natural fires and lightning
• Storms, hailstorms, cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.
• Floods, inundation, and landslides
• Droughts and dry spells
• Pests and diseases

Prevented Sowing- This is applicable on a notified area basis!

This covers the idea that if most of the insured farmers of the notified area plan to sow/plant but are unable to due to bad weather, farmers can claim up to 25% of the insured amount.

Post-Harvest Losses- This applies to an individual farm basis!

This coverage is available for up to 14 days after harvesting for crops left in a cut-and-dry state in the field. It covers specific risks like cyclones, cyclonic rains, and unseasonal rains.

Localised Calamities- This applies on an individual farm basis.

This PM crop insurance scheme covers the loss or damage from specific local risks. These could be hailstorms, landslides, and flooding, affecting individual farms.

Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

The PMFBY scheme offers several key benefits:

• It provides protection for both Kharif and Rabi crops.
• Besides the basic crop insurance coverage, the PMFBY scheme also offers extra coverage for specific situations.
• Farmers can choose to join the PM crop insurance scheme, whether they have loans or not.
• It helps keep farmers’ income steady so they can keep farming.

Premium Rates for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna

As per the recent updates, the premium rates offered under the PMFBY scheme are as follows:

S. No.	Season	Crops	Maximum Insurance Charges Payable by the Farmer (% of Sum Insured)
1	Kharif	Food & Oilseeds crops (including cereals, millets, oilseeds, and pulses)	2.0% of Sum Insured (SI) or the actuarial rate, whichever is lower
2	Rabi	Food & Oilseeds crops (including cereals, millets, oilseeds, and pulses)	1.5% of Sum Insured (SI) or the actuarial rate, whichever is lower
3	Kharif & Rabi	Annual Commercial / Annual Horticultural crops	5% of Sum Insured (SI) or the actuarial rate, whichever is lower

Eligibility for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana Scheme

Who are all eligible for the PMFBY Scheme?

Let us take a look!

To be eligible for the PMFBY scheme, farmers must meet the following criteria:

• The farmer must actively cultivate or sharecrop the insured land.
• As a farmer, you need a valid land ownership certificate or a land tenancy agreement.
• The insurance applications must be submitted within 2 weeks of the beginning of the sowing season.
• Farmers must not have received compensation for the same crop loss from any other source.
• The farmer must have a proper bank account. They have to provide bank details and identity proof at the time of enrollment.

Exclusions from Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna- PMFBY Scheme Coverage

The PMFBY scheme does not cover risks and losses arising from the following circumstances:

• War and related perils
• Nuclear risks
• Riots
• Malicious damage
• Theft
• Acts of enmity
• Grazing and destruction by domestic or wild animals
• Post-harvest losses for crops bundled and heaped before threshing
• Other preventable risks

Application Process for PMFBY

If a farmer wants to benefit from the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, they must apply online.

Here are the steps involved:

1. Visit the official PMFBY portal: https://pmfby.gov.in/. 
2. Click on the first tab on the main screen named “Farmer Corner.”
3. If you are a new user, click on “Guest Farmer.”
4. You will see a form on your screen.
5. Fill in all the required details, such as full name, passbook details, and number.
6. Once done, click on “Submit” to create your account.
7. Complete the form for the insurance scheme and provide the required details.
8. Your account will be opened.

How Do You File an Insurance Claim under PMFBY?

If you experience crop loss, you must follow these steps to file a claim:

1. You must report the loss to your insurance company within 72 hours.
2. You can report to the concerned authority directly at pmfby.gov.in/ by clicking on ‘Report Crop Loss’.
3. You can also download the app and report crop loss here: play.google
4. You must submit the following supporting documents:
   • Photographs of the damaged crop.
   • A report from the village-level committee (VLC) or the agriculture department.

What are the Documents Required for PMFBY Scheme?

To apply for the PMFBY scheme, you need the following documents:

• Bank Account Number
• Aadhaar Card
• Khasra Number of Land
• Photocopy of Land Agreement
• Ration Card
• Voter ID
• Driving License
• Passport-size Photograph of the Farmer

You may also want to know the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana (MSY)

FAQs| Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

Source: cnbctv18.com, myscheme.gov.in

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