New Insurance Cover under PMFBY for Crop Damage

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a crop insurance scheme launched by the Government of India on 18 February 2016 to protect farmers from financial losses caused by crop damage. The main purpose of this scheme is to financially support farmers when their crops fail due to natural problems such as heavy rainfall, drought, storms, floods, pests, and diseases. It aims to reduce the economic stress on farmers and ensure that they do not face a major setback when such disasters affect their harvest.

Under PMFBY, if a farmer’s crop gets damaged, the government provides insurance money (compensation) to cover the loss. This financial support helps farmers recover from the damage and continue their farming activities without falling into debt or suffering a major economic crisis. Through this scheme, the government ensures stability in farmers’ income and boosts confidence in agricultural production across the country.

Challenges have consistently hurt farmers the most:

For years, farmers across India have struggled with sudden crop losses caused by wild animals and unexpected flooding of paddy fields. These losses were severe, frequent, and financially draining — yet not covered under crop insurance.

Farmers in states with high human-wildlife conflict (Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, North-East & Himalayan states) have long faced crop losses from wild-animal intrusion, with little recourse.

Coastal and flood-prone states (Odisha, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand) have suffered repeated paddy inundation losses with limited insurance cover.

An expert committee constituted by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare recommended these changes, which have now been approved.

New Modalities Under PMFBY 2026

Wild-Animal Attacks recognised as an Add-On Cover

• PMFBY will now recognise crop losses caused by attacks from wild animals (such as elephants, wild boar, nilgai, deer, monkeys) under the category of Localised Risk.
• States will have to notify the list of wild animals responsible for crop damage and identify the vulnerable insurance units (districts/areas) based on historical data.
•  Farmers will need to report losses within 72 hours via the “Crop Insurance App” with geotagged photos of the damage.
• This change is aimed for rollout from Kharif 2026.

Paddy Inundation reinstated as Localised Calamity Cover

• Paddy crop losses due to inundation (flooding, overflowing water-bodies) will again be eligible under Localised Risk cover in PMFBY, a risk category that was removed for this peril in 2018 due to assessment challenges.
• This particularly benefits farmers in flood-prone/coastal states where paddy submergence is a recurring problem.

Important Things to Note / Farmer Checklist

• Make sure you are enrolled in PMFBY for the notified crop season (Kharif/Rabi) in your area.
• Check with your state’s agriculture/insurance office whether your district/insurance-unit has been notified for wild-animal attack Add-on cover.
• For areas prone to paddy inundation: verify whether your state has re-introduced paddy inundation under the Localised Calamity cover for PMFBY.
• If your farmer land is near forests, wildlife corridors, hills or flood-prone zones, keep geotagged photos of the crop damage ready and submit via the official “Crop Insurance App” within 72 hours as required.
• Maintain records of crop type, area, sowing date, notification / premium paid and any damage event (wild animal intrusion or flooding).
• Understand the premium, share by Centre & State, exclusions and timelines for claim-settlement under PMFBY.
• For blog audiences: Encourage farmers to ask their local block/department offices about the latest operational guidelines, and keep informed of deadlines for reporting loss

Final Message for Farmers

The decision to include Wild-Animal Attacks and Paddy Inundation under PMFBY marks a major shift toward farmer-friendly insurance.
With this upgrade, farmers will gain:

✔ Better risk protection
✔ Faster compensation
✔ More confidence to continue cultivation in challenging areas

This is not just a policy change — it is a big step toward safeguarding farmer income and rural livelihoods.