India Reinstates Paddy Flooding Cover Under PMFBY; Wild Animal Loss Added as Add-on Risk
19 November 2025, New Delhi: The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has reinstated coverage for paddy crop loss due to flooding under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The new modality, approved for national rollout from Kharif 2026, addresses a significant protection gap for farmers in flood-prone and coastal regions.
Paddy flooding was removed from the localised calamity category in 2018 because of concerns related to assessment and moral hazard. Since then, farmers in several districts have continued to report regular crop loss due to heavy rainfall, waterlogging and overflow from local waterways. In many areas, paddy fields remain submerged for extended periods, affecting yield and crop viability.
To examine these recurring challenges, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare constituted an expert committee. Based on its recommendations, the Ministry has now formalised a revised framework for including paddy flooding as a localised risk. Farmers will be required to report losses within 72 hours through the Crop Insurance App by submitting geotagged photographs. The framework has been prepared in accordance with PMFBY Operational Guidelines to ensure transparency and operational feasibility across States.
Reinstating this cover is expected to support farmers in States with frequent paddy flooding, including Odisha, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand.
Wild Animal Damage Also Added Under Localised Risk
Along with paddy flooding, the Ministry has also approved a new add-on cover for crop loss caused by wild animal attacks. This has been designated as the fifth Add-on Cover under the Localised Risk category in PMFBY. States will notify the list of wild animals responsible for crop damage and identify vulnerable districts or insurance units based on historical data.
Farmers will need to report losses within 72 hours using the same mobile application-based process. Wild animal damage is a recurring challenge in regions near forests, wildlife corridors and hilly terrain, affecting crops such as paddy, maize, pulses, oilseeds and vegetables. The decision will benefit farmers in States with high levels of human–wildlife conflict, including Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and the Himalayan and North-Eastern States.
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