How to Claim Crop Insurance Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in India

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is India's flagship crop insurance scheme, designed to provide financial support to farmers suffering crop losses due to natural calamities such as drought, flood, cyclone, hailstorm, and pest or disease attack. The scheme covers over 200 crops across Kharif, Rabi, and commercial or horticultural seasons. Filing a claim correctly and within the mandatory 72-hour reporting window is the single most important step to receiving your insurance payout. This guide explains the eligibility criteria, the enrollment process, and the step-by-step claim filing procedure for PMFBY.

Who Is Eligible for PMFBY

Both loanee and non-loanee farmers are eligible for PMFBY. Since Kharif 2020, enrollment is entirely voluntary; no farmer is automatically enrolled through their crop loan. To participate, a farmer must be growing a notified crop in a notified area during the notified season.

The premium rates are standardised: 2% of the sum insured for Kharif crops (food grains, oilseeds, and pulses), 1.5% of the sum insured for Rabi crops, and 5% of the sum insured for commercial and horticultural crops. The remaining premium is subsidised by the Central and State Governments on a 50:50 basis. For example, if the sum insured for soybean in your district is Rs 35,000 per hectare and you insure 2 hectares, your total farmer premium for the Kharif season is 2% of Rs 70,000, which is Rs 1,400.

Sharecroppers and tenant farmers can also enroll, provided they have supporting documents such as a land lease agreement or a declaration from the landowner. If you are a small or marginal farmer, you may also benefit from Ayushman Bharat health insurance for medical coverage alongside your crop insurance.

How to Enroll Before the Deadline

For Kharif 2026, the national enrollment deadline is July 31, 2026. Missing this deadline means you will have no insurance coverage for the entire Kharif season, regardless of any crop loss.

Step 1: Visit the PMFBY portal or a CSC. Go to pmfby.gov.in and register or log in. Alternatively, visit your nearest Common Service Centre (CSC), bank branch, or authorised insurance intermediary.

Step 2: Submit your documents. You will need: Aadhaar card, bank passbook (with IFSC code), land records (7/12 extract, khasra/khatauni), sowing certificate or crop declaration, and a self-declaration for tenant or sharecropper farmers.

Step 3: Pay the premium. Pay the farmer's share of the premium. For loanee farmers, the bank deducts the premium from the crop loan account. Non-loanee farmers pay directly through the portal, CSC, or bank branch.

Step 4: Receive confirmation. After successful enrollment, you will receive an SMS confirmation with your policy number. Keep this number safe; you will need it when filing a claim.

The 72-Hour Claim Reporting Rule

This is the most critical and most commonly missed step. If your crop suffers damage due to a covered peril (drought, flood, cyclone, hailstorm, pest or disease attack, or any other natural calamity), you must report the loss within 72 hours of the event. Missing this 72-hour window can result in rejection of your claim, regardless of the actual extent of damage.

You can report the crop loss through the following channels: the PMFBY portal at pmfby.gov.in; the Crop Insurance App (available on Android and iOS); the toll-free helpline number of the insurance company listed on your policy; or your nearest Common Service Centre (CSC). When reporting, provide your policy number, the nature and date of the loss, the crop affected, and the estimated area of damage.

Once you report the loss, the insurance company will dispatch a surveyor to assess the damage. The surveyor's report, combined with satellite and remote sensing data (under the YES-TECH framework and WINDS automatic weather stations), forms the basis of your claim calculation. If you face a road accident while transporting produce, the process for filing a motor insurance claim is a separate procedure under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Step-by-Step Claim Filing Process

Step 1: Intimate the loss within 72 hours. Use any of the channels listed above. Ensure you receive an acknowledgement or reference number for your intimation.

Step 2: Cooperate with the surveyor. Allow the insurance company's surveyor to inspect the damaged crop. Provide access to the field and any supporting documents, such as photographs of the damage, weather reports, or local news reports confirming the calamity.

Step 3: Submit the claim form. If required by the insurance company, fill out the claim form with details of the loss. Attach the surveyor's report, your enrollment confirmation, land records, and bank account details.

Step 4: Claim assessment and payment. The insurance company assesses the claim based on the surveyor's report, satellite data, and crop-cutting experiments (CCEs) conducted by the state government. In approximately 80% of cases, the claim amount is disbursed within 30 days of the loss assessment. Payment is made directly to your Aadhaar-linked bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Step 5: Track your claim. Monitor the status of your claim on pmfby.gov.in or through the Crop Insurance App. If the claim is delayed beyond 30 days, contact the insurance company or escalate through the District Level Monitoring Committee (DLMC). Farmers who also need to address delayed payment issues with other entities can use the MSME ODR portal for those disputes.

Related Reading

These guides cover related insurance and government scheme processes:

- How to Claim Health Insurance in India: Cashless and Reimbursement Process

- How to Apply for EPS Pension in India

- How to Claim a Stamp Duty Refund in India

Key Takeaways

PMFBY covers crop losses from natural calamities for both loanee and non-loanee farmers at subsidised premiums: 2% for Kharif, 1.5% for Rabi, and 5% for commercial or horticultural crops. Enrollment for Kharif 2026 closes on July 31, 2026. The 72-hour intimation rule is non-negotiable: report crop loss within 72 hours through pmfby.gov.in, the Crop Insurance App, or the insurance company's helpline. Claims are typically settled within 30 days, with payment via Direct Benefit Transfer to your Aadhaar-linked bank account. The scheme leverages satellite data, remote sensing, and automatic weather stations for crop yield estimation, reducing dependence on manual assessment.

Crop insurance is a safety net that works only if you activate it in time. Enroll before the deadline and report any loss within 72 hours.