Direct answer. PMFBY gives comprehensive crop insurance at minimal premium — 2% for kharif, 1.5% for rabi, 5% for commercial/horticulture. Government subsidises the rest. Claim within 72 hours of damage by calling 14447 or via insurance company app. 8 crore farmers insured per year. Voluntary since 2020 (was mandatory for KCC loanees earlier). Apply at any bank (auto for KCC) or online at pmfby.gov.in (non-loanees).

• Premium: 2% (kharif) / 1.5% (rabi) / 5% (commercial/horticulture).
• Government pays: rest of the actuarial premium.
• Claim window: 72 hours from damage event.
• Cut-off: 31 July (kharif) / 31 December (rabi).
• Helpline: 14447 (toll-free).
• Claim stuck? 🪄 RTI in 60 sec.

PMFBY launched 18 February 2016 by Department of Agriculture, MoA&FW. Replaced the earlier National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) + Modified NAIS. Operates via empanelled public + private insurance companies: AIC, HDFC ERGO, ICICI Lombard, Bajaj Allianz, etc.

• Low premium for farmer — 1.5–5% (rest paid by govt).
• Comprehensive risks covered:
  • Pre-sowing — failed sowing due to weather/water shortage
  • Standing crop — drought, flood, pest, disease
  • Post-harvest — cyclone/cyclonic rains for cut crops on field
  • Localised calamities — hailstorm, landslide, inundation
• Sum insured = scale of finance × area cultivated (typically ₹15k–60k per acre).
• Smartphone-based claim — Crop Insurance App.

Calculated as scale of finance × area. Example: Wheat scale of finance ₹40,000/ha, you have 2 ha → sum insured ₹80,000. Premium @ 1.5% = ₹1,200 (you pay).

• Farmer growing notified crops in notified area.
• All farmers: small, marginal, large; tenant or owner.
• KCC loanees: auto-enrolled at sowing (premium debited from KCC account).
• Non-loanees: must enrol online at pmfby.gov.in OR through bank.
• Sharecroppers + tenants: covered if Lease Cultivation Certificate in state.

1. Aadhaar card (mobile-linked)
2. Land documents (RoR / patta / pahani / khasra)
3. Bank passbook (Aadhaar-seeded)
4. Sowing certificate OR patwari sowing report (mandatory for non-loanee)
5. Photograph — passport-size
6. For tenants: Lease Cultivation Certificate

1. Auto-enrolled at sowing.
2. Premium debited from KCC account at 1.5–2%.
3. You receive enrolment SMS.
4. Opt-out allowed: visit bank within 7 days of premium debit, fill opt-out form.

1. Online: pmfby.gov.in → “Apply as Farmer” → enter Aadhaar, land, crop, area.
2. Pay premium online (UPI / netbanking).
3. OR offline: visit bank / CSC / insurance company office with documents + cash.
4. Cut-off: 31 July (kharif) / 31 Dec (rabi). Apply 7+ days before cut-off.

1. Damage occurs (cyclone, hailstorm, flood, drought, pest attack).
2. Within 72 hours — call 14447 OR insurance company helpline OR file via Crop Insurance App.
3. Provide: name, Aadhaar, mobile, location, crop, sum insured, type of damage.
4. Surveyor visits within 7–10 days.
5. Crop-cutting experiment (CCE) for area-based losses.
6. Damage assessment + CCE results finalised in 30–60 days.
7. Claim DBT to your bank in 60–90 days from damage.

File RTI to insurance company for: (a) damage assessment report, (b) CCE results for your village, © reasons for denial. First Appeal under §19(1) RTI in 30 days if PIO doesn't reply.

• Not reporting within 72 hours — claim auto-rejected.
• No proof of sowing — for non-loanee farmers, patwari sowing certificate is critical.
• Wrong crop declared — premium debited but coverage doesn't match → claim denied.
• Aadhaar–bank mismatch — claim DBT silent failure.
• Skipping CCE participation — your village's CCE result determines area-based claim. If your panchayat misses CCE, your claim may default to lower compensation.

• 2025–26 reform: simpler claim process, smartphone-only filing, faster CCE via drone surveys.
• WBCIS (Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme) continues for districts where PMFBY isn't operational.
• PMFBY 2.0 discussions ongoing — yet to be formally announced.

Auto at sowing — bank debits premium from your KCC account. Sum insured = scale of finance × area you've declared. SMS confirms.

No — cut-off is hard. Try the next season (rabi 31 Dec).

Likely your village CCE (crop-cutting experiment) showed lower-than-actual damage. File RTI for: CCE locations, who conducted, methodology, results. If CCE was flawed, file complaint with State Agriculture Insurance Cell + First Appeal.

Yes — most states have own crop insurance / disaster relief. Stackable. Each has its own claim process.

Only with Lease Cultivation Certificate (state-specific — AP, Odisha, Karnataka, TN).

Many districts have WBCIS (Weather-Based Crop Insurance) instead. Check at https://pmfby.gov.in → “Notified Districts”.

Yes — PMFBY covers prevented sowing if pre-sowing rainfall is below threshold. Claim with patwari report on date of attempted sowing + actual rainfall data.

Voluntary since 2020 — opt-out within 7 days of premium debit notification. Bank cannot refuse opt-out request.

• KCC — credit + auto-PMFBY
• PM-KISAN — ₹6,000/yr cash
• Soil Health Card — free soil test
• e-NAM — sell crops online
• MGNREGA — 100 days work
• 🌾 All farmer schemes

• PMFBY official
• Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare
• Helpline: 14447

{REVIEWED}

Last reviewed: 3 May 2026.

• Infographic concept: 3-row premium table: Kharif 2% / Rabi 1.5% / Commercial 5% farmer share. Government covers the rest. 4 risk windows: pre-sowing → standing crop → post-harvest → localised.

1. Minimal flat icon of a crop with a shield around it (insurance).
2. Cyclone + drought + pest icons in a row (multi-risk coverage).
3. Cell phone with PMFBY app and 14447 helpline.

Realistic photo of an Indian farmer in a wheat field after rain damage, holding his smartphone with PMFBY claim screen.