Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday said 29 crore farmers have so far insured their crops under the Government’s Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and urged other growers — who have not yet got one — to enroll soon. On the occasion of five years of implementation of PMFBY, the Minister said crop insurance is the only “suraksha kavach (security shield)” for farmers from any crop losses arising due to natural disasters.
“So far, 29 crore farmers have insured their crops under the scheme and about 5.5 crores new farmers are getting registered every year. A total of `90,000 crore have been paid as claims to farmers till now. In fact, the scheme was fully operational during the Covid-19 lockdown, distributing claims of over 8,741.3 crores to 69.70 lakh farmers across India, which is highly commendable,” he said.
PMFBY was launched on January 13, 2016 with an aim to provide a comprehensive risk solution at the lowest uniform premium across the country for farmers.
“On this occasion, I want to again congratulate farmers and urge them to tell fellow farmers and relatives to take advantage of the crop insurance,” Tomar said in a video message. He also urged those farmers, who have not yet got their crop insured, to get one today itself and secure crops from natural disasters.
Tomar also interacted with stakeholders across the country via video conferencing on the occasion of completion of five years of the PMFBY. He said that there is a need to raise awareness about the PMFBY so that many more farmers can take advantage of the scheme.
The Minister informed that PMFBY has been made voluntary and the scheme is linked with technology. Moreover, efforts have been made to ensure transparency. For speedy disbursal of claims and crop assessment, the centre is using satellite and is working closely with the State Governments.
A crop insurance mobile app, where farmers can get all information related to the scheme, is also made available, he added. Under the scheme, the premium cost over and above the farmer share is equally subsidised by the Centre and States. The average sum insured per hectare has increased from `15,100 during the pre-PMFBY Schemes to `40,700 under the PMFBY.
Aadhar seeding has helped in speedy claim settlement directly into the farmer accounts. Even during Covid lockdown period, nearly 70 lakh farmers benefitted and claims worth `8,741.30 crores were transferred to beneficiaries, according to the Ministry data.
