PRADHAN MANTRI FASAL BIMA YOJANA (PMFBY) FAQs

The PMFBY crop insurance scheme covers the following crops:

1. Food crops (Cereals, Millets and Pulses)
2. Oilseeds
3. Annual Commercial / Annual Horticultural crops

Sum insured will be equal to the Scale of Finance as decided by the District Level Technical Committee. This will be pre-declared by the State Level Coordination Committee on Crop Insurance (SLCCCI) and will be notified. There will be no other applicable calculation of Scale of Finance. Therefore, the sum insured for every individual farmer would equal to the Scale of Finance per hectare multiplied by area of the notified crop proposed by the farmer for insurance.

Note: Hectare will be used for unit of scale to measure the farmer’s area under cultivation. The sum insured per hectare for loanee and non-loanee farmers will be the same. However, the sum insured for irrigated and un-irrigated areas may be separate.

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana covers several unforeseen perils that cause crop damage, prior to sowing and post harvesting as well. These include acts of God such as cyclones, storms, hail, lightening, and so on. Other localized calamities that are covered include pest attacks & weather vagaries such excess or deficit rainfall, excess or deficit temperature, humidity, frost, wind speed etc.

Following risks leading to crop loss are to be covered under the scheme: -

1. YIELD LOSSES (standing crops, on notified area basis): Comprehensive risk insurance is provided to cover yield losses due to non-preventable risks, such as (i) Natural Fire and Lightning (ii) Storm, Hailstorm, Cyclone, Typhoon, Tempest, Hurricane, Tornado etc. (iii) Flood, Inundation and Landslide (iv) Drought, Dry spells (v) Pests/ Diseases etc.
2. PREVENTED SOWING (on notified area basis): - In cases where majority of the insured farmers of a notified area, having intent to sow/plant and incurred expenditure for the purpose, are prevented from sowing/planting the insured crop due to adverse weather conditions, shall be eligible for indemnity claims upto a maximum of 25% of the sum-insured.
3. POST-HARVEST LOSSES (individual farm basis): Coverage is available upto a maximum period of 14 days from harvesting for those crops which are kept in “cut & spread” condition to dry in the field after harvesting, against specific perils of cyclone / cyclonic rains, unseasonal rains throughout the country.
4. LOCALISED CALAMITIES (individual farm basis): Loss / damage resulting from occurrence of identified localized risks i.e. hailstorm, landslide, and Inundation affecting isolated farms in the notified area. 

Premium for the Prdhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana must be paid through of NEFT only. Demand Drafts or Cheques are not accepted. Similarly offline applications for enrolment are not accepted. Every application for this scheme needs to be filled-in online.

All farmers availing Seasonal Agricultural Operations (SAO) loans from Financial Institutions (i.e. loanee farmers) for the notified crop(s) would be covered compulsorily. It is mandatory for all loanee cultivators to insist on insurance coverage as per provisions of the Scheme.

• Non-standard KCC /crop loans shall not be covered compulsorily by the concerned Banks/Govt. regulator. However, bank branches may facilitate such farmers for enrolment as non-loanee farmers.
• Merely, sanctioning of crop loan against other collateral securities including fixed deposits, gold/jewel loans, mortgage loans etc. without having insurable interest of the farmer on the insurable land and notified crops shall not be covered under the Scheme.

Any changes in insured crop should be brought to the notice of the bank at least 2 working days prior to cut-off date for enrollment.

Insurance Proposals are accepted only upto a stipulated cut-off date as declared by the State Level Coordination Committee on Crop Insurance (SLCCCI).

• Farmers can enroll under the scheme via their bank branches, nearest CSC Centers or insurance intermediary as authorized by IRDA.
• All enrolments need to necessarily be completed within the cut-off date as defined in the respective State Government notification and farmer share of premium duly remitted by the Bank or Intermediary within the cut-off date to the Insurance Company.
• In case the farmer changes the crop to be sown, he should intimate the change to concerned banks at least 2 working days prior to cut-off-date. In case the premium paid was higher, insurance company will refund the excess.
• In case of Tenant/ share farmers obtaining coverage necessary documentary evidence of land records prevailing in the State (Records of Right (RoR) Land possession Certificate (LPC) etc.) and/ or applicable contract/agreement details/ other documents notified/ permitted by concerned State Government should be provided at the time of enrolment.
• Service Tax is exempted for this scheme.

For any losses arising out of the post-harvest or Localsed calamity, farmer should contact our company and intimate the loss within 72 hours of the event occurring along with survey number-wise insured crop and acreage affected and the Premium payment verification details as given to the Bank / Intermediary / CSC centers. Local Newspaper cutting and any other available evidence to substantiate occurrence of loss event and severity of the loss, if any should also be provided as applicable.

• Farmers can reach out to us on 1800 103 5499 and update as soon as the loss has occurred.
• Farmers can also reach out to the District Agriculture Office (DAO) and our representative will be intimated by the DAO office.

Farmers can also reach out to their respective Banks.

The Scheme is optional for the non-loanee farmers; however cultivators/farmers desirous of availing crop insurance for any notified crop in any notified insurance unit may approach nearest bank branch/ Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS)/ Common Service center (CSC)/ authorized channel partners/ insurance intermediary of insurance company, within cut-off date of enrollment. The cultivator/farmer must fill-up the proposal form completely in prescribed format, submit the proposal form along with requisite premium to bank branch/ Insurance Intermediary/ CSC Centers along with necessary documentary evidence regarding his insurable interest in cultivating land/ crop (e.g. Ownership/ tenancy/ cultivation rights) proposed for insurance.

The farmer desiring for crop insurance should have a bank account in any branch of the designated bank, and the details of bank account should be provided in the proposal form.

The farmers should mention their land identification number (Khasra Number) in the Proposal form and must provide documentary evidence with regard to possession of cultivable land. The farmers/cultivators must furnish area sown confirmation certificate.

The farmer should ensure that he/she gets insurance coverage for notified crop(s) cultivated/ proposed to be cultivated, in a piece of land from a single source only. No duplicate or double Insurance is allowed and in any such cases farmer will not be eligible for coverage. The insurance company shall reserve the right to repudiate all such claims and not refund the premium as well in such cases.

Company may also take legal action against such farmers.