Himachal Pradesh Urges Farmers to Insure Maize, Paddy Crops Before July 31 Under PMFBY

The Himachal Pradesh government has appealed to farmers across the state to insure their maize and paddy crops under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) before the July 31 deadline to safeguard themselves against crop losses caused by natural calamities during the ongoing kharif season.

The crop insurance scheme provides financial protection against losses arising from adverse weather events such as drought, floods, waterlogging and hailstorms. Maize and paddy have been notified for coverage under the scheme for the current kharif season.

In Hamirpur district, all tehsils and sub-tehsils have been notified for maize crop insurance. However, paddy insurance coverage has been extended only to the tehsils of Hamirpur, Nadaun and Bhoranj.

According to information available on the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) website, Kshema General Insurance Limited, headquartered in Hyderabad, has been designated as the implementing insurance company for Hamirpur district. ITUS Insurance Brokers Limited, also based in Hyderabad, is the insurance broker.

According to the Agriculture Department, July 31 is the last date for enrolling maize and paddy crops under the insurance programme. Farmers will have to pay a premium of Rs 48 per canal, equivalent to Rs 1,200 per hectare, while the insured sum has been fixed at Rs 60,000 per hectare.

To avail the insurance cover, farmers can submit their Aadhaar card, photo identity proof and land ownership documents through the designated insurance company at the nearest Lok Mitra Kendra, bank branches or by applying online.

The department clarified that farmers who have availed crop loans from banks or other financial institutions will be automatically covered under the scheme through their lending institutions. However, loanee farmers who do not wish to participate in the scheme can opt out by submitting a written declaration to their respective bank branch within the stipulated time.

The state government has urged eligible farmers to complete the enrolment process well before the July 31 deadline to ensure timely insurance coverage and financial protection against weather-related crop losses during the kharif season.

As per information available at PMFBY webiste, during the Kharif 2025 season, farmers from 10 districts of Himachal Pradesh contributed Rs 198.56 lakh towards crop insurance premiums. The state government contributed Rs 54.90 lakh, while the Central government paid Rs 494.69 lakh. As a result, the total premium collected stood at Rs 7.48 crore and the sum insured was Rs 99.28 crore. However, insurance companies had to settle claims of only 54 farmers, paying a total compensation of Rs 5 lakh.