Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): Benefits, Eligibility and How to Apply

• All farmers, including tenant farmers and sharecroppers, growing notified crops in notified areas.
• The farmer must have an insurable interest in the insured crop.
• The farmer must have a valid and authenticated land ownership certificate or a valid land tenure agreement.
• The farmer must be a cultivator or sharecropper on the insured land.
• The farmer must apply for insurance within the prescribed time frame.
• The farmer must not have received compensation for the same crop loss from any other medium or source.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Non-notified areas: the scheme applies to notified areas, and crop losses in non-notified areas are generally not covered.
• Losses outside the crop cycle: losses occurring outside the specified crop cycle are often excluded.
• Negligence and non-compliance: losses from farmer negligence, not following recommended agricultural practices or failing to protect the crop adequately may be excluded.
• Losses beyond specified limits: some losses beyond the scheme's specified limits or thresholds may not be covered.
• Non-payment of premium: farmers who do not pay their premium share as required may not be covered, and non-payment can lead to cancellation of the insurance.

• Visit the official PMFBY website.
• Click 'Farmer Corner' at the top right of the homepage and choose 'Guest Farmer' in the popup to open the Online Registration Form. If you are already registered, skip to the login step.
• Fill in the mandatory fields (marked with a red asterisk): Farmer Details (full name, passbook name, relationship, relative name, mobile number, age, caste category, gender, farmer type, farmer category), Residential Details (state, district, sub-district, village/town, address, PIN code), Farmer ID (ID type and number) and Account Details (IFSC, bank name, branch name, savings bank account number and confirmation).
• Enter the Captcha code and click 'Create User'.
• After registration, click 'Farmer Corner (Apply for Crop Insurance Yourself)' and choose 'Login for Farmer'.
• On the login page, enter your mobile number and the Captcha code, click 'Request for OTP', enter the OTP received and click 'Submit' to open the Farmer Application Form.
• Fill in all mandatory fields, upload the required documents in the specified format and size, click 'Preview' to check everything and then click 'Submit'. You will get a confirmation message.
• In the popup, choose 'Make Payment' to pay the premium now or 'Pay Later' to pay afterwards, and print the payment receipt once payment succeeds.
• Track your application through the 'Application Status' option on the PMFBY website homepage.

About the Scheme

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a crop insurance scheme of the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, launched on 18 February 2016. It gives farmers financial protection when crops are lost to natural disasters such as hail, drought and famine, or to pests and diseases. The scheme is run through a network of insurance companies and banks. Its aims are to support farmers hit by unforeseen crop damage, stabilise their income so they can continue farming, encourage modern farming practices, and support crop diversification and the credit-worthiness of farmers.

Key Benefits Explained

The biggest advantage is the low premium. A farmer's share is capped at 2% for Kharif food and oilseed crops, 1.5% for Rabi food and oilseed crops and 5% for annual commercial or horticultural crops, and the government pays the balance. Cover goes beyond standing crop yield losses from fire, lightning, storms, hailstorms, floods, landslides, pests and drought. It also includes prevented sowing (up to 25% of the sum insured), post-harvest losses for crops left to dry in 'cut and spread' condition for up to 14 days, and localised calamities like hailstorms, landslides and inundation assessed farm by farm. The scheme aims to settle claims within two months of harvest and uses satellite imaging, drones and mobile apps to estimate losses.

Who Should Apply and Who Cannot

Any farmer, owner, tenant or sharecropper, growing a notified crop in a notified area and having an insurable interest in it can apply. Losses in non-notified areas, losses outside the crop cycle, losses caused by negligence, and cover for farmers who do not pay their premium share may be excluded. A farmer who has already received compensation for the same loss from another source is not eligible.

Applying: Practical Points

• Apply on time: insurance must be taken within the prescribed time frame for the season.
• Keep ready a passport-size photo, bank passbook, identity and address proof, land records (State Record of Rights or Land Possession Certificate, or other agreements notified or permitted by the state) and a declaration of the crop sown or to be sown.
• If a CSC operator fills your form, check every detail before submission and keep a printed copy and the acknowledgement receipt with the application number.
• Premium can be paid at the end of the online application ('Make Payment') or later ('Pay Later'); print the receipt after payment.
• If you were registered last season, use the same registration, but submit a fresh application and premium for each new season.
• Report crop damage as early as possible, with supporting evidence.