Over 11.6 lakh farmers enrolled under PMFBY in J&K: Centre

New Delhi, Mar 11: More than 11.6 lakh farmer applications have been enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in Jammu and Kashmir since the launch of the scheme, with total claims worth Rs 166.7 crore paid to 2.8 lakh farmer applications till the Kharif 2025 season, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary shared the details in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
He said the government has introduced the yield-based PMFBY and the weather index-based Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) from Kharif 2016 to provide financial support to farmers suffering crop losses due to natural calamities and adverse weather conditions.
The schemes provide comprehensive risk insurance coverage from pre-sowing to post-harvest losses and aim to stabilise farmers’ income, the minister said.
Choudhary said the schemes are voluntary for states and union territories as well as farmers, and all willing farmers are eligible to enrol.
Under PMFBY, farmers are charged a low premium rate — up to 2 per cent of the sum insured for Kharif crops, up to 1.5 per cent for Rabi crops and up to 5 per cent for commercial and horticultural crops.
The remaining actuarial premium is shared between the Centre and the states on a 50:50 basis. However, for northeastern and Himalayan states, including Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre bears 90 per cent of the premium while the UT contributes 10 per cent, he said.
Responding to another part of the question, the minister said land and agriculture fall under the jurisdiction of state governments under the Constitution, and they are responsible for taking measures to increase the area under cultivation and ensure optimal use of agricultural land.
He said the Centre supports such efforts through policy initiatives and budgetary assistance, including the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY), which focuses on the development of rainfed and degraded land.
The scheme includes activities such as soil and moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, drainage line treatment, pasture development and livelihood support for asset-less persons, he added. (KNO)