NEW DELHI, 26 December 2025: The Government of India has clarified the criteria used to assess crop losses under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), while outlining expanded provisions for specific risks such as wild animal attacks and inundation, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
PMFBY is a voluntary scheme for both states and farmers, offering comprehensive risk insurance against crop losses caused by non-preventable natural calamities. Coverage spans the entire crop cycle, from pre-sowing to post-harvest stages, for crops and areas notified by the respective state governments.
Traditionally, losses caused by wild animals were excluded from PMFBY coverage, as such damage was classified as preventable in nature. However, following requests from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and various state governments, the scheme has been modified to allow coverage for crop losses due to wild animal attacks. States can now notify this risk as an add-on cover under PMFBY, subject to individual assessment of losses. The financial liability for this additional coverage is to be borne by the respective state governments, with detailed protocols laid out in the scheme’s operational guidelines.
Inundation is included as a covered risk for all notified crops under PMFBY. However, for hydrophilic crops such as paddy, jute, mesta and sugarcane, inundation coverage is available only under non-localised risk conditions. Localised inundation losses for these crops were earlier excluded from coverage.
To address this gap, a dedicated committee was constituted to define modalities for assessing crop loss due to wild animal attacks and inundation in paddy crops under localised risk scenarios. The committee has since submitted its report, along with recommendations and standard operating procedures (SOPs), aimed at refining loss assessment and expanding risk coverage in a structured manner.
The government said these measures are intended to improve clarity, consistency and responsiveness in crop loss assessment under PMFBY, while balancing risk coverage with fiscal and operational considerations.
The details were shared by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
