<PAGE> 1
                                                                   Exhibit 31.1


                             SARBANES-OXLEY
                        Section 302 Certification


I, Martin D. Feinstein, certify that:

1.     I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of Farmers Group, Inc.;

2.     Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement
       of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
       the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
       statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered
       by this report;

3.     Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
       information included in this report, fairly present in all material
       respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows
       of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.     The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
       establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
       defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the
       registrant and have:

       a)     designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
              disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
              supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
              registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
              known to us by others within those entities, particularly during
              the period in which this report is being prepared;

       b)     evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
              controls and procedures and presented in this report our
              conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
              and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
              report based on such evaluation; and

       c)     disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
              control over financial reporting that occurred during the
              registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth
              fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has
              materially affected, or is reasonably likely to affect, the
              registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.     The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based
       on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
       reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the
       registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
       function):

       a)     all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
              design or operation of internal control over financial reporting
              which are reasonable likely to adversely affect the
              registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report
              financial information; and

<PAGE> 2

       b)     any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
              other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
              internal control over financial reporting.


Date:  August 8, 2003


/s/       Martin D. Feinstein
-----------------------------
Martin D. Feinstein
Chairman of the Board
President and Chief Executive Officer

* Provide a separate certification for each principal executive officer and
principal financial officer of the registrant.  See Rules 13a-14(a) and
15d-14(a).