All You Need to Know About Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: How to Apply, Claim Insurance and Essential Documents

Farmers in India have to suffer a lot of losses every year due to natural disaster like floods, hail, thunderstorms and heavy rains. These natural disasters spoil the crops and farmers come in a great debt of crisis. To overcome such crisis the Central Government had launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). This scheme was started on 13 January 2016. 

About the Scheme 

• Under this scheme, farmers have to pay only 2% premium for Kharif crop and 1.5% premium for Rabi crop.

• The insurance premium has been kept very low if your crop gets damaged due to natural calamities. 

• Insurance cover for commercial and horticultural crops has also been provided in this scheme.

• In this scheme farmers have to pay only 5% premium.

• This scheme is run by the Agricultural Insurance Company of India (AIC or AIC).

Objective of Scheme 

The main objective of the scheme is to provide insurance cover and financial assistance to farmers if their crop gets damaged due to natural calamities, insects and diseases. This scheme also put an effort to keep the farmers interested in farming and to provide them permanent income and to ensure availability of credit in the agriculture sector. 

How to fill form for PMFBY 

• Forms for this scheme can be filled in both ways i.e offline (by going to the bank) and online mode. 

• To fill the form online, you can visit this link- http://pmfby.gov.in/

• If you want to fill offline form then you can visit nearest bank branch and fill the form of Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

Documents are needed for PMFBY? 

• Farmer's photograph.

• Farmer's ID Card (PAN Card, Driving License, Voter ID Card, Passport, Aadhaar Card).

• Farmer's Address Proof (Driving License, Voter ID Card, Passport, Aadhaar Card).

• If its your own field, then keep the papers of its Khasra number (plot number or field number)  and account number together.

• You have to present the proof of sowing of the crop and farmers can get this proof in a letter written from people like Patwari, Sarpanch, Pradhan.

• If  the crop has been sown on rented field  then the copy of the agreement with the owner of the farm.

• The account / Khasra number of the farm should be clearly written in it.

• It is necessary to attach a cancelled check to get the money directly into your bank account.

Things to keep in mind  

• You can still avail the insurance scheme if your crop is damaged due to natural disaster between 14 days from harvesting, 

• The benefit of insurance will be given only if your crop has been damaged due to a natural disaster.

• The premium for insurance of cotton crop was Rs 62 per acre last year, while it was Rs 505.86 for paddy crop, Rs 222.58 for millet and Rs 202.34 per acre for maize.