Lok Sabha Question No. 327 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-05
Subject: Non Opting of PMFBY
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Kalaben Mohanbhai Delkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 327

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 TH  DECEMBER, 2023

## NON OPTING OF PMFBY

327. SHRIMATI DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:

- (a)  the names of the States in which Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has been implemented;
- (b)  whether it is a fact that the farmers of the States where this scheme is implemented are not  opting/refusing  to  take  it's  benefits  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reasons therefor;
- (c)  whether the Government has tried to ascertain the reasons for not opting this Yojana by the farmers and if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
- (d)  the total number of farmers insured and the area of fields insured under PMFBY during the last two years, State-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (d)  :   The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana  (PMFBY) is voluntary for States as well as for farmers.   States/UTs are free to subscribe under the scheme keeping in view their risk perception and financial considerations etc. Farmers are free to insure their crops as per their risk perception, provided the crops and area is notified by the concerned State Government/UT Administration.  Since inception of the scheme in 2016-17, 27 States/Union Territories (UTs) implemented the scheme in one or more seasons.  At present, States of Andhra  Pradesh,  Assam,  Andaman  &  Nicobar  Islands,  Chhattisgarh,  Goa,  Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur,  Meghalaya,  Odisha,  Puducherry,  Rajasthan,  Sikkim,  Tripura,  Tamil  Nadu,  Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are implementing the scheme.

Though the scheme is voluntary for the farmers, more than 30% of the Gross Cropped Area (GCA) and non-loanee farmers of implementing States are covered under the scheme, which shows the acceptance of the scheme among farmers.

The Government has taken several steps to create substantial awareness about the scheme  amongst  beneficiaries  so  that  they  can  enroll  themselves  voluntarily  under  the scheme. The Government has made provisions to ensure availability of adequate funds for awareness of PMFBY. The revised Operational Guidelines for PMFBY which came into effect from  1 st   October  2018  have  inter-alia  provided  that  the  insurance  companies  should compulsorily spend atleast 0.5% of the total gross premium collected by them for Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities.

The Government has actively supported the awareness activities being carried out by the States, implementing Insurance Companies, financial institutions, and Common Service Centres  (CSCs)  network  to  disseminate  key  features  of  PMFBY  amongst  farmers  and members of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

Further, a structured awareness campaign 'Crop Insurance Week/Fasal Bima Saptah' has  been  initiated  by  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  since  Kharif  2021 season onwards. The core focus of the campaign is to increase the awareness about benefits of  the  scheme,  sensitize  the  stakeholders  and  to  increase  overall  enrolment  of  farmers, thereby helping them to reap the benefits of crop insurance with special focus on identified aspirational/tribal districts.

Along with this, Fasal Bima Pathshalas are also being organized at village/GP level for knowledge building of farmers on various aspects of scheme implementation.

Apart from this, other activities for awareness generation involve the publicity of key features and benefits of the scheme through advertisements in leading National and local newspapers,  airing  of  audio-visual  spots  on  regional  /  local  channels,  distribution  of  IEC material in local languages, dissemination of SMS through Kisan / National Crop Insurance Portal  (NCIP)  portal  and  organisation  of  online  workshops  of  all  stakeholders  including farmers, Panchayat Members, and other key stakeholders.

Government had also organized a nationwide Doorstep Crop Insurance Policy/receipt Distribution  mega  drive  -  'Meri  Policy  Mere  Haath'.  Hard  copies  of  crop  insurance  policy receipts are distributed  to  farmers enrolled under PMFBY through special camps at gram Panchayat/village  level.  All  implementing  State/UT  Governments  along  with  respective insurance companies have been organizing Gram Panchayat level mega policy distribution drive.

As  a result of these initiatives, number of farmer applications has grown by 33.4% and 41% year-on-year during 2022-23 and 2021-22, respectively. There is also significant growth of  28.9% in  number of farmer applications and 24% in area insured under the scheme in Kharif  season (upto November 2023) as compared to Kharif 2022.

State-wise details of number of farmer applications insured and area covered under the scheme during 2021-22 and 2022-23 are given in Annexure .

Annexure State-wise details of No. of farmer applications and area insured under PMFBY during

## 2021-22 and 2022-23

| State/UT         | No. of Farmer Applications Enrolled (in lakhs)   | No. of Farmer Applications Enrolled (in lakhs)   | Area Insured (in lakh hectare)   | Area Insured (in lakh hectare)   |
|------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|                  | 2021-22                                          | 2022-23                                          | 2021-22                          | 2022-23                          |
| A & N Islands#   | 0.01                                             | 0.00                                             | 0.00                             | 0.00                             |
| Andhra Pradesh   | NI                                               | 175.40                                           | NI                               | 35.37                            |
| Assam            | 9.96                                             | 4.90                                             | 5.58                             | 3.15                             |
| Chhattisgarh     | 58.39                                            | 77.24                                            | 22.98                            | 23.24                            |
| Goa#             | 0.00                                             | 0.00                                             | 0.00                             | 0.00                             |
| Haryana          | 14.53                                            | 14.46                                            | 16.19                            | 15.91                            |
| Himachal Pradesh | 2.34                                             | 2.67                                             | 31.95                            | 42.40                            |
| Jammu & Kashmir  | 0.91                                             | 0.92                                             | 0.42                             | 0.44                             |
| Karnataka        | 19.34                                            | 26.45                                            | 17.41                            | 22.66                            |
| Kerala           | 0.99                                             | 1.47                                             | 0.51                             | 0.69                             |
| Madhya Pradesh   | 92.67                                            | 177.26                                           | 116.23                           | 90.10                            |
| Maharashtra      | 99.03                                            | 107.44                                           | 59.07                            | 65.21                            |
| Manipur          | 0.03                                             | 0.04                                             | 0.02                             | 0.03                             |
| Meghalaya#       | 0.00                                             | 0.00                                             | 0.00                             | 0.00                             |
| Odisha           | 81.70                                            | 80.06                                            | 10.17                            | 9.24                             |
| Puducherry       | 0.36                                             | 0.31                                             | 0.14                             | 0.11                             |
| Rajasthan        | 345.31                                           | 390.74                                           | 107.12                           | 105.76                           |
| Sikkim           | 0.02                                             | 0.05                                             | 0.00                             | 0.01                             |
| Tamil Nadu       | 59.14                                            | 61.60                                            | 15.66                            | 15.43                            |
| Tripura          | 3.36                                             | 3.21                                             | 0.52                             | 0.62                             |
| Uttar Pradesh    | 40.67                                            | 42.53                                            | 29.49                            | 29.68                            |
| Uttarakhand      | 1.83                                             | 2.82                                             | 9.60                             | 38.86                            |
| Total            | 830.56                                           | 1,169.56                                         | 443.08                           | 498.91                           |

# Rounded to lakhs, hence shown as 0.   NI : Not Implemented

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