The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is voluntary for the States as well as farmers.  The scheme  provides for comprehensive risk insurance against crop damage due to non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest for the crops/areas notified by the concerned State Government.   The losses to crops due to wild animals, being preventable in nature, were therefore not covered earlier.  However, at the request of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and State Governments, States have been allowed to notify the losses by wild animals on individual assessment as add on cover at the cost of State Government.  Detailed protocol for such coverage has been given in the Operational Guidelines of the scheme.

Inundation as a risk cover is available to all notified crops under (PMFBY).  However, for hydrophilic crops like paddy, jute, mesta, sugarcane, such cover is available except in case of localized claims.

However, a Committee constituted for “Defining Modalities of Crop Loss by Wild Animal Attack and Inundation for Paddy Crop under Localised Risk” has submitted its report alongwith recommendations and SOPs for coverage of these risks.

This information was given by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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RC/AR/1442

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