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About the update

• Crop losses caused by wild animals will be recognized as the fifth Add-on Cover under the Localised Risk category of PMFBY.
• This coverage is a major relief for farmers, especially those living near forests, wildlife corridors, and hilly terrains.
• Wild animals included in the coverage are elephants, wild boars, nilgai, deer, and monkeys, with states responsible for notifying the list of wild animals causing damage based on historical data.
• Farmers must report crop losses within 72 hours via the Crop Insurance App by uploading geotagged photographs of the damage.
• The revised framework aims to provide timely, transparent, and technology-driven claim settlements.

Types of cover under PMFBY

• Yield Losses (standing crops): Coverage for losses due to natural disasters such as:
  • Natural fire and lightning,
  • Storm, hailstorm, cyclone, typhoon, hurricane, tornado,
  • Flood, inundation, landslide,
  • Drought and dry spells,
  • Pests and diseases.
• Coverage also includes losses before sowing due to adverse weather conditions that affect sowing or planting.
• Post-harvest losses caused by specific perils such as cyclonic rains, hailstorm, unseasonal rains during drying of crops in field after harvesting.
• The scheme covers food crops (cereals, millets, pulses), oilseeds, and annual commercial/horticultural crops as notified by the state government.
• The insurance is generally compulsory for loanee farmers and optional for others, covering both Kharif and Rabi seasons.
• Premium rates are typically 2% for Kharif food and oilseeds, 1.5% for Rabi food and oilseeds, and 5% for commercial crops.
• From the 2026 Kharif season, the scheme is set to include coverage for crop losses caused by wild animals.

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