PM Fasal Bima Yojana: How UP farmers get cover against crop losses
Uttar Pradesh is implementing PMFBY across districts with digital tools for crop insurance. The system is meant to speed up loss assessment, claims processing and farmer support after natural risks.
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a Government of India crop insurance scheme implemented in Uttar Pradesh to provide financial support to farmers when insured crops suffer losses from specified natural risks. Uttar Pradesh has been implementing the scheme across its districts since 2016–17.
Under PMFBY, notified crops are insured against risks covered under the scheme. These include prevented sowing, standing crop losses caused by specified natural perils, localised calamities and post-harvest losses, subject to the conditions and assessment procedures prescribed under the scheme.
HOW PMFBY WORKS
Farmers pay a prescribed share of the premium, while the remaining premium is subsidised by the government. The insurance cover and notified crops vary by state, season and area. In Uttar Pradesh, the state government notifies the applicable crops and areas for coverage in accordance with the scheme guidelines.
TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED CROP INSURANCE
PMFBY uses digital systems to support registration, monitoring, crop-loss assessment and claims processing. The national PMFBY platform provides facilities for farmers to apply for insurance, check policy status and report crop losses. Farmers can also use the Krishi Rakshak Portal & Helpline (KRPH) and the toll-free helpline 14447 for queries and grievances.
The scheme also uses technologies such as remote sensing, smartphones, geospatial tools and digital crop-cutting systems to improve crop-yield assessment and monitoring.
The scheme is designed to provide a financial safety net against insured crop losses, helping farmers manage the economic impact of specified natural risks and continue agricultural activity after a crop-loss event.
For Uttar Pradesh, PMFBY forms part of the wider set of agricultural support measures through which the state implements central crop-insurance provisions and notifies crops and areas for coverage according to applicable guidelines.