Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) insures farmers against specified crop losses caused by natural risks. Coverage concerns notified crops in notified areas and distinguishes losses by the stage of cultivation and whether damage is widespread or confined to individual farms. Standing-crop yield loss is the basic cover; additional covers depend on the options notified by the implementing State or Union Territory.

Prevented sowing, planting or germination

This category protects against adverse conditions that prevent the crop from becoming established, rather than damage to an already growing crop.

• The prevented sowing, planting or germination cover applies where insured farmers cannot sow or plant, or where germination fails, because of deficit rainfall or adverse seasonal or weather conditions.
• It operates on an area basis, subject to the scheme's prescribed conditions, rather than compensating every individual instance of unsuccessful sowing.

Losses to standing crops

The standing-crop cover, extending from sowing to harvesting, protects against yield losses caused by specified non-preventable risks.

• Covered risks include drought and dry spells, floods, inundation, storms, hailstorms, cyclones, landslides, natural fire and lightning.
• Losses caused by pests and diseases are also included.
• Widespread yield-loss claims generally follow an area approach, using the yield of the notified insurance unit rather than a separate yield assessment for every farm.

Post-harvest losses

The post-harvest cover is limited protection for eligible harvested crops that remain in the field for drying; it is not general insurance for produce throughout storage and marketing.

• Coverage extends for a maximum of 14 days after harvesting for crops required to be dried in the field in a cut-and-spread or small-bundled condition.
• Specified perils are hailstorms, cyclones, cyclonic rains and unseasonal rains.
• Loss assessment is conducted on an individual-farm basis.

Losses from localised calamities

The localised-calamity cover addresses specified events that damage isolated farms within a notified area.

• Covered events include hailstorms, landslides, inundation, cloudbursts and natural fire due to lightning.
• Assessment occurs on an individual-farm basis, allowing affected farms to be assessed separately from the wider insurance unit.