The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a crop insurance scheme of the Government of India designed to provide financial protection to farmers against crop losses caused by specified natural risks and unforeseen events. The official PMFBY portal provides facilities for farmers to apply for crop insurance, calculate premiums, check application status and report crop-loss-related grievances.
For farmers, crop damage caused by drought, flood, excessive rainfall, hailstorm, cyclone, pests, diseases and other notified risks can create a serious financial burden. Crop insurance is intended to reduce this risk by providing insurance coverage for notified crops in notified areas, subject to the applicable scheme conditions.
This article explains what PMFBY is, who can apply, farmer premium, crops covered, risks covered, how to apply online, how to report crop loss, how to check application status and other important details.
⭐ What is Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana?
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a government-supported crop insurance scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
The scheme aims to provide financial support to farmers when their insured crops suffer loss or damage due to covered risks. Its broader objectives include supporting sustainable agriculture, stabilising farmers’ income after crop losses, encouraging modern agricultural practices and supporting the flow of credit to agriculture.
The PMFBY system also uses a web-based technology platform to bring farmers, insurance companies, financial institutions and government agencies onto an integrated ecosystem. The official portal provides digital services related to crop notification, insurance applications, premium calculation, policy status and claims-related processes.
In simple words:
PMFBY is a crop insurance scheme through which eligible farmers can insure notified crops and receive insurance benefits for covered crop losses according to the applicable rules.
⭐ Main Objectives of PMFBY
The scheme has several important objectives.
1. Financial support after crop loss
One of the main purposes is to provide financial support to farmers who suffer crop loss or damage because of unforeseen events covered under the scheme.
2. Income stabilisation
Crop failure can affect a farmer’s income and ability to continue farming. Crop insurance is intended to reduce the financial impact of such losses.
3. Encourage modern agriculture
Insurance protection can support farmers in adopting innovative and modern agricultural practices by reducing some of the financial risks associated with crop production.
4. Support agricultural credit
The scheme also aims to support the flow of credit to the agriculture sector and contribute to food security, crop diversification and agricultural growth.
⭐ Who Can Get Coverage Under PMFBY?
The scheme provides coverage to farmers growing notified crops in notified areas, subject to the applicable conditions.
The official operational guidelines state that eligible farmers can include:
- Farmers cultivating notified crops
- Sharecroppers
- Tenant farmers
- Other farmers having an insurable interest in the notified crop
For sharecroppers and tenant farmers, the applicable land-related records, agreements or other documents permitted by the concerned State Government may be required.
However, simply cultivating a crop does not automatically mean that it is insured. The crop and area must be notified under the applicable season and scheme arrangements.
⭐ Is PMFBY Mandatory for Farmers?
PMFBY coverage has provisions for both loanee and non-loanee farmers, with the scheme having been made optional for farmers from Kharif 2020 under the revised framework. The applicable enrolment and opt-out provisions should be checked for the relevant season and State notification.
Non-loanee farmers
Farmers who have not taken an eligible crop loan can voluntarily apply for insurance for notified crops in notified areas, subject to the applicable deadline and requirements.
Loanee farmers
Farmers with agricultural loans should check the current season’s applicable PMFBY provisions and their bank’s process before the enrolment cut-off date.
Because crop notification and enrolment dates can differ by State, crop and season, farmers should not rely on a single fixed date for every year.
⭐ Which Crops Are Covered Under PMFBY?
The PMFBY framework includes major categories of agricultural and horticultural crops.
| Crop Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Food Crops | Cereals, Millets, Pulses |
| Oilseeds | Notified oilseed crops |
| Annual Commercial Crops | Commercial crops notified by the State |
| Annual Horticultural Crops | Eligible notified horticultural crops |
The official PMFBY FAQ identifies food crops, oilseeds, and annual commercial/annual horticultural crops among the crop categories covered under the scheme.
However, the exact crops covered are not identical everywhere. The State Government notifies the crops and insurance units for particular seasons.
Therefore, farmers should check whether their specific crop is notified in their area before applying.
⭐ What Risks Are Covered Under PMFBY?
The scheme provides insurance protection against specified risks, subject to the applicable terms and conditions.
Depending on the applicable notification and coverage, crop losses may arise from risks such as:
- Drought
- Dry spells
- Flood
- Inundation
- Landslide
- Hailstorm
- Cyclone
- Unseasonal rainfall
- Lightning-related natural fire
- Certain pest attacks
- Certain diseases
- Other notified natural risks
The PMFBY framework provides comprehensive risk coverage for specified crop losses and also contains separate provisions for different situations such as prevented sowing, localized calamities and post-harvest losses.
It is important to understand that not every type of crop damage automatically results in a claim. The loss must fall within the applicable insurance coverage and satisfy the scheme conditions.
⭐ Types of Crop Loss Coverage
PMFBY includes different types of situations under its crop insurance framework.
Prevented Sowing / Planting
If insured farmers are unable to sow or plant the notified crop because of specified adverse conditions, the applicable provisions may provide coverage subject to the State notification and scheme conditions.
Standing Crop Loss
Loss to the standing crop due to covered natural risks is one of the major areas of crop insurance coverage.
Localized Calamities
The scheme has provisions for losses caused by certain localized events such as:
- Hailstorm
- Landslide
- Inundation
- Cloudburst
- Natural fire due to lightning
The applicable provisions operate at the individual farm level for eligible insured farmers.
Post-Harvest Loss
Certain post-harvest losses may also be covered under the applicable PMFBY provisions, subject to the notified conditions and time period.
⭐ PMFBY Premium: How Much Does the Farmer Pay?
One of the important features of PMFBY is that the farmer’s share of premium is limited for specified crop categories.
According to the official PMFBY framework, the maximum farmer premium rates are:
| Season / Crop | Maximum Farmer Premium |
|---|---|
| Kharif Food Crops & Oilseeds | 2% of Sum Insured |
| Rabi Food Crops & Oilseeds | 1.5% of Sum Insured |
| Annual Commercial & Annual Horticultural Crops | 5% of Sum Insured |
The applicable premium can depend on the notified crop, area and insurance arrangements. The official PMFBY premium calculator allows users to select the year, season, scheme, State, district, crop and area to calculate the applicable insurance premium.
Example
Suppose the applicable Sum Insured for a crop is ₹1,00,000.
If the applicable farmer rate is 2%, the farmer’s maximum premium share under that rate would be:
₹1,00,000 × 2% = ₹2,000
This is only an example. The actual premium should be checked using the notified crop and area details.
⭐ What is Sum Insured Under PMFBY?
The Sum Insured is an important part of crop insurance because the claim calculation is linked to the applicable insured amount and scheme provisions.
The official PMFBY FAQ states that the Sum Insured per hectare for loanee and non-loanee farmers is linked to the Scale of Finance decided by the District Level Technical Committee and notified for the applicable crop and area. The individual farmer’s Sum Insured is calculated using the applicable per-hectare amount and insured crop area.
The applicable Sum Insured can therefore differ according to:
- State
- District
- Crop
- Season
- Notified insurance unit
- Cultivated/insured area
⭐ PMFBY Online Application
The official PMFBY portal provides a Farmer Corner through which farmers can access online crop insurance services.
Farmers can also use the official portal’s premium calculator before applying.
The online farmer registration/application system asks for details such as:
- Farmer name
- Passbook name
- Relationship details
- Mobile number
- Age
- Gender
- Farmer category
- State
- District
- Sub-district
- Village/Town
- Address
- PIN code
- Farmer ID details
- Bank account details
- IFSC
- Bank branch
The exact information required can depend on the application process and applicable State arrangements.
⭐ How to Apply for PMFBY Online?
Farmers can follow these general steps through the official PMFBY portal.
Step 1: Visit the Official PMFBY Website
Open the official Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana portal.
Step 2: Open the Farmer Corner
From the homepage, use the Farmer Corner to access crop insurance application services.
Step 3: Check Your Crop and Area
Before submitting an application, check whether your:
- State
- District
- Crop
- Season
- Insurance unit
are covered under the applicable notification.
Step 4: Calculate Premium
Use the official Insurance Premium Calculator to check the premium applicable to your crop and area.
Step 5: Enter Farmer Details
Provide the required personal, residential, identification and bank details.
Step 6: Submit the Application
Review the information carefully and submit the application through the available online process.
Step 7: Keep the Application Details
After submission, keep your application/policy information safely because it can be required for checking status and communicating regarding the insurance.
⭐ Documents Required for PMFBY
The exact documents can vary according to the farmer category, State and application channel. Commonly relevant information/documentation can include:
- Farmer identification details
- Aadhaar or other applicable identification
- Bank account details
- IFSC and bank branch details
- Land-related records
- Cultivation/possession documents where applicable
- Details of the notified crop
- Details of cultivated area
- Loan-related information for applicable loanee farmers
For tenant farmers and sharecroppers, the applicable land possession, cultivation agreement or other State-permitted documentary evidence may be required.
Farmers should provide accurate information because incorrect crop, area, land or bank details can create problems during policy processing or claim settlement.
⭐ PMFBY Premium Calculator
The official PMFBY website has a dedicated Insurance Premium Calculator.
The calculator asks for:
- Year
- Season
- Scheme
- State
- District
- Crop
- Area in hectare
After entering the required information, the system can be used to check the applicable premium information.
This is particularly useful because crop insurance rates and notified crops can vary by location and season.
⭐ How to Check PMFBY Application Status?
The PMFBY portal provides an Application Status facility.
The official website states that farmers can check their policy/application status using the Policy ID.
Generally, you should keep your:
- Policy ID
- Application details
- Registered mobile number
- Farmer identification details
available while checking the status.
Check PMFBY Application Status
⭐ What Should a Farmer Do After Crop Loss?
If an insured crop suffers damage, the farmer should report the loss according to the applicable PMFBY procedure and within the prescribed time.
The official PMFBY portal provides a Krishi Rakshak Portal & Helpline (KRPH) for raising queries, grievances and reporting crop loss. The current official helpline number displayed by the portal is 14447.
Important
Do not wait unnecessarily after noticing crop damage.
The reporting process and time limits can depend on the type of loss and the applicable notification. Therefore, farmers should follow the instructions applicable to their crop and State.
⭐ PMFBY Claim Settlement
Crop insurance claims are processed according to the applicable PMFBY provisions, crop notification, insurance unit, loss assessment and other prescribed conditions.
The PMFBY system includes different claim categories such as:
- Prevented sowing
- Localized losses
- Mid-season adversity
- Yield-based claims
- Post-harvest losses
The official PMFBY dashboard separately tracks these categories as part of the scheme’s administrative and claim-related data.
A claim is therefore not simply calculated by looking at the farmer’s individual crop loss in every situation. The applicable claim methodology depends on the type of insured event and the relevant scheme provisions.
⭐ What is the PMFBY Portal Used For?
The official PMFBY website is more than an information website. It provides several digital services for farmers and other stakeholders.
Important PMFBY online services include:
| Service | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Farmer Corner | Crop insurance application services |
| Premium Calculator | Check applicable insurance premium |
| Application Status | Track application/policy status |
| KRPH | Grievance and crop-loss reporting |
| Dashboard | Scheme and claim-related statistics |
| Downloads | Guidelines and official documents |
| Farmer App | Apply and manage insurance-related services |
| WhatsApp Chatbot | Digital assistance |
| YESTECH | Live crop observations and photographs |
| CCE App | Crop Cutting Experiment-related system |
| WINDS | Weather information-related services |
These services are listed on the official PMFBY portal.
⭐ PMFBY Farmer App and Digital Services
The PMFBY platform has been expanded with several technology-based tools.
The official portal currently lists:
- Farmer App
- WhatsApp Chatbot
- AIDE App
- CCE App
- CLAP
- WINDS
- YESTECH
These systems are intended to improve crop insurance administration, application management, field observations, crop assessment, weather information and grievance-related services.
This digital approach is part of the government’s effort to integrate farmers, insurance companies, banks, government departments and other stakeholders on a common technology platform.
⭐ PMFBY: Important Points Farmers Should Know
Before taking crop insurance, farmers should keep the following points in mind:
- Only notified crops in notified areas are covered.
- Crop insurance is linked to the applicable season and notification.
- The farmer premium is subject to the applicable PMFBY rate.
- Crop details and insured area should be entered correctly.
- Bank account information should be accurate.
- Tenant and sharecropper farmers may need applicable documentary evidence.
- Crop damage should be reported according to the prescribed procedure.
- A claim is subject to the applicable insurance conditions.
- Premium calculation can be checked through the official PMFBY calculator.
- Policy/application status can be checked through the official portal.
- For grievances and crop-loss reporting, the official portal currently provides 14447.
⭐ PMFBY Official Website and Useful Links
For farmers, using the official PMFBY portal is important because crop notifications, application services, premium information and other details can change from season to season.
Official PMFBY Portal
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana Official Website
Premium Calculator
PMFBY Insurance Premium Calculator
Official Downloads
PMFBY Official Downloads and Guidelines
Grievance / Crop Loss Support
The official PMFBY portal currently displays Krishi Rakshak Portal & Helpline – 14447 for queries, grievances and crop-loss reporting.
⭐ Frequently Asked Questions About PMFBY
⭐ Conclusion
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is an important crop insurance framework designed to provide financial protection to eligible farmers against specified crop losses. Farmers can use the official PMFBY portal to check notified crop and area information, calculate insurance premiums, apply for crop insurance, track application status and access grievance or crop-loss reporting services.
Because crop notification, insurance units, crops, premium details and enrolment deadlines can vary by State, crop and season, farmers should always check the latest information on the official PMFBY portal before submitting an application.
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