PM Fasal Bima Yojana 2026: How Farmers Can Protect Their Crops Against Natural Disasters

PM Fasal Bima Yojana 2026: How Farmers Can Protect Their Crops Against Natural Disasters

Indian agriculture is highly dependent on weather, making farmers vulnerable to drought, floods, cyclones, hailstorms, unseasonal rainfall, pests and diseases. A single severe weather event can damage an entire season’s crop investment and create serious financial pressure for farming families.

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) provides crop insurance protection against a wide range of non-preventable natural risks. In 2026, the scheme continues to play an important role in protecting farm incomes and strengthening climate resilience. For 2026–27, the Government of India has allocated ₹12,200 crore to PMFBY.

Since its launch in Kharif 2016 through Rabi 2025–26, more than 92.46 crore farmer applications have been insured, while more than 26.33 crore farmer applications have received claims exceeding ₹2.06 lakh crore.

What Is PM Fasal Bima Yojana?

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a government-supported crop insurance scheme designed to protect farmers against financial losses caused by specified crop failures and damage resulting from non-preventable risks.

The scheme was launched in 2016 with the objective of providing financial support to farmers suffering crop losses, stabilizing farm income, encouraging modern agricultural practices and supporting continued agricultural production.

The important point for farmers is that coverage depends on the crop and area notified by the concerned State Government for the particular season. PMFBY is voluntary for both States and farmers.

Why Crop Insurance Is Important in 2026

Climate variability is making agricultural risk increasingly difficult to predict. Heavy rainfall, drought-like conditions, floods, cyclones and other extreme weather events can cause crop losses within a short period.

Crop insurance can help farmers:

• Reduce the financial impact of crop failure
• Protect their investment in seeds, fertilizers and crop inputs
• Maintain cash flow after a major crop loss
• Recover and prepare for the next cropping season
• Reduce the financial stress associated with unexpected production losses
• Continue farming despite increasing weather-related risks

The government describes PMFBY as a mechanism for protecting farmer livelihoods, stabilizing income and supporting climate-resilient agriculture.

What Risks Are Covered Under PMFBY?

PMFBY provides comprehensive coverage against specified non-preventable natural risks, subject to the notified crop, area and applicable scheme provisions.

1. Drought and Dry Spells

Insured crops can be protected against yield losses resulting from drought and dry spells, where the crop and area are notified under PMFBY.

2. Flood and Inundation

Flooding and inundation can cause severe damage to standing crops. These risks are covered under PMFBY for notified crops, subject to applicable provisions.

The government has specifically clarified that inundation is available as a risk cover for notified crops, with certain provisions applicable to hydrophilic crops such as paddy, jute, mesta and sugarcane.

3. Cyclones and Storms

Cyclones, storms and related weather events can damage standing crops as well as harvested crops left for drying in the field where the applicable post-harvest coverage conditions are met.

4. Hailstorms

Hailstorms can cause substantial damage to crops such as cotton, vegetables, fruits, pulses and other agricultural crops. Hailstorm-related losses can be covered under applicable PMFBY provisions.

5. Landslides

Crop losses caused by landslides may be covered when the applicable crop and area are notified.

6. Pests and Diseases

Certain crop losses caused by pests and diseases are included within the comprehensive yield-loss coverage under PMFBY.

7. Prevented Sowing or Planting

If adverse weather conditions prevent the majority of insured farmers in a notified area from sowing or planting the insured crop, the scheme provides for compensation subject to applicable conditions. The PMFBY FAQ states that indemnity for prevented sowing can be up to 25% of the sum insured.

8. Localized Calamities

Certain localized risks, including hailstorm, landslide and inundation, can be assessed at the individual insured farm level under the applicable provisions.

9. Post-Harvest Crop Loss

Post-harvest coverage is available for specified crops that are harvested and left in the field in cut-and-spread condition for drying. The PMFBY FAQ specifies coverage for up to 14 days after harvesting against specified perils such as cyclone/cyclonic rains and unseasonal rainfall.

How Much Premium Does a Farmer Pay?

One of the major advantages of PMFBY is the subsidized premium structure.

The maximum farmer premium rates are:

The remaining actuarial premium is supported through government subsidy according to the applicable scheme provisions. The Government has stated that farmers do not have to pay a premium above these specified rates.

Example:
If the applicable sum insured for a Kharif crop is ₹1,00,000, the farmer's maximum premium at 2% would be ₹2,000, subject to the applicable scheme calculation and notification.

Farmers should check the actual premium for their state, district, season and crop using the official PMFBY premium calculator because notified crops and rates can vary.

Who Can Benefit From PMFBY?

Farmers can participate when their crop and area are covered under the scheme notification applicable to their State/UT and season.

The scheme covers eligible crops such as:

• Cereals
• Millets
• Pulses
• Oilseeds
• Annual commercial crops
• Annual horticultural crops

The actual crops covered depend on the relevant State Government notification.

Farmers should therefore confirm:

1. Whether PMFBY is implemented in their state for the season
2. Whether their crop is notified
3. Whether their village/insurance unit is notified
4. The applicable sum insured
5. The applicable premium
6. The enrollment deadline

How to Apply for PM Fasal Bima Yojana in 2026

Farmers can use the official PMFBY portal for crop insurance-related services. The portal currently provides options for farmer enrollment, premium calculation, application status and crop-loss reporting.

Step 1: Check Whether Your Crop Is Notified

Before purchasing insurance, confirm that your crop and location are covered for the relevant season.

Step 2: Check the Premium

Use the official PMFBY Insurance Premium Calculator by selecting:

• Year
• Season
• Scheme
• State
• District
• Crop
• Cultivated area

The official calculator provides the relevant premium information.

Step 3: Keep Your Details Ready

The PMFBY farmer registration system asks for details such as:

• Farmer name
• Passbook name
• Mobile number
• Age
• Farmer category/type
• Address
• Farmer ID
• Bank account details
• IFSC and bank branch information

Step 4: Complete Enrollment Before the Applicable Deadline

The deadline is linked to the notified season and crop, so farmers should not wait until the last day.

Step 5: Keep the Insurance/Application Details Safe

After enrollment, keep your application or policy details, premium receipt and relevant land/crop documents safely.

What Should Farmers Do After Crop Damage?

Timely reporting is extremely important when a farmer suffers an eligible localized or post-harvest crop loss.

Farmers should:

1. Report the crop loss as soon as possible.
2. Keep their policy/application details available.
3. Provide the required information about the damaged crop and location.
4. Preserve relevant documents and evidence of cultivation and insurance.
5. Follow the instructions of the concerned insurance company/State authorities.
6. Monitor the claim/application status through the PMFBY system.

The official PMFBY portal currently provides a Krishi Rakshak Portal & Helpline (KRPH) for queries, grievances and reporting crop loss, with helpline number 14447.

For localized calamities and specified post-harvest losses, assessment is carried out at the individual insured farm level under the applicable process.

How Are PMFBY Claims Calculated?

PMFBY generally follows an Area Approach for widespread yield losses.

Under this approach, claims are worked out based on the shortfall between the actual yield of the insured crop and the applicable threshold yield. Actual yield information can come from Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) and, where applicable, technology-based yield estimation through YES-TECH.

However, certain losses are assessed differently.

Individual Farm-Level Assessment

Losses resulting from certain localized risks—including:

• Hailstorm
• Landslide
• Inundation
• Cloudburst
• Natural fire

and specified post-harvest losses caused by cyclone, cyclonic/unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms can be assessed on an individual insured farm basis.

This distinction is important because farmers should not assume that every crop-loss claim is calculated in exactly the same way.

Technology Is Making Crop Insurance More Transparent

Technology is becoming increasingly important in PMFBY implementation.

YES-TECH

Yield Estimation System based on Technology (YES-TECH) uses technology to support more objective crop-yield estimation and crop-loss assessment.

YES-TECH has been implemented from Kharif 2023 for objective crop damage and loss assessment.

WINDS

The Weather Information Network & Data System (WINDS) is designed to build a network of Automatic Weather Stations and Automatic Rain Gauges to generate hyperlocal weather information.

As of the government's July 2026 update, WINDS had been adopted by seven States/UTs—Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand—with 16,843 sites approved for installation and 892 AWS/ARGs installed at that point.

Together, these technologies are intended to make crop insurance assessment faster, more objective and more transparent.

Important Things Farmers Should Remember

PMFBY can provide valuable financial protection, but farmers should understand that crop insurance is not an automatic guarantee of compensation for every type of crop damage.

Before enrollment, farmers should check:

✔️ Is my crop notified?

Not every crop is necessarily covered in every location.

✔️ Is my village/area notified?

Coverage depends on State Government notifications and applicable insurance units.

✔️ What risks are covered?

Check the applicable notification and policy conditions.

✔️ What is my premium?

Use the official PMFBY premium calculator.

✔️ What is my sum insured?

Understand the applicable sum insured before purchasing insurance.

✔️ What is the enrollment deadline?

Do not miss the season-specific deadline.

✔️ How do I report a loss?

Keep the relevant helpline and reporting channels available.

✔️ Can I track my application?

The official PMFBY portal provides application/policy status services.

What Is Not Generally Covered?

Farmers should also understand exclusions.

The PMFBY FAQ identifies exclusions including losses arising from war and related perils, nuclear risks, riots, malicious damage, theft and other preventable risks, subject to the applicable scheme provisions.

Wild-animal damage was historically not included as a standard risk because it was considered preventable. However, in 2026, States have been allowed to notify wild-animal damage as an add-on cover, with the cost borne by the State Government, subject to the prescribed protocol.

Therefore, farmers should always check their State's specific notification rather than assuming that every type of crop loss is insured.

PMFBY 2026: Why Farmers Should Consider Crop Insurance

Agriculture involves risks that farmers cannot always control. A farmer can select good seed, apply fertilizers correctly, manage pests and follow recommended cultivation practices—but extreme weather can still destroy a crop.

PMFBY provides a financial safety mechanism against several such risks.

With ₹12,200 crore allocated for 2026–27, more than 92.46 crore farmer applications insured since Kharif 2016, and claims exceeding ₹2.06 lakh crore paid to more than 26.33 crore farmer applications through Rabi 2025–26, the scheme remains a significant part of India's agricultural risk-management system.

Final Takeaway for Farmers

PM Fasal Bima Yojana 2026 can help farmers protect their farm income against major natural and production risks—but timely enrollment and timely loss reporting are critical.

Farmers should:

• Check whether their crop and area are notified.
• Enroll before the applicable deadline.
• Pay the applicable subsidized premium.
• Keep insurance and bank details safe.
• Understand the risks covered by their policy.
• Report eligible crop losses promptly.
• Track their application and claim status.
• Use official PMFBY resources for the latest information.

For the most accurate season-specific information, farmers should refer to the official PMFBY portal and their State Government's crop insurance notification.

Useful Official Resources

• PM Fasal Bima Yojana Official Portal
• PMFBY Guidelines
• PMFBY Premium Calculator