Farmers Urged to Insure Crops Against Adverse Weather as El Niño Raises Risk of Below-Normal Rainfall
Published on: July 14, 2026
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
The Agriculture Department 3has announced July 31, 2026, as the last date for farmers in Rajnandgaon district to enrol under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for the Kharif 2026 season.
According to the India Meteorological Department’s forecast, the district is likely to receive below-normal rainfall this year due to the impact of El Niño. In view of the possibility of crop losses caused by adverse weather conditions and local natural calamities, both loanee and non-loanee farmers, including landowners and sharecroppers, have been advised to register under the crop insurance scheme.
Under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers in the district can insure irrigated paddy, rainfed paddy, maize, soybean, groundnut, pigeon pea (arhar), black gram (urad), green gram (moong), kodo millet, kutki and finger millet (ragi).
For the Kharif 2026 season, the government has notified the crop-wise sum insured, scale of finance and farmers’ premium. The farmer’s premium contribution has been fixed at 2%.
The notified crop-wise insurance details are as follows:
| Crop | Sum Insured (Per Hectare) | Farmer’s Premium (Per Hectare) |
|---|---|---|
| Irrigated Paddy | ₹66,000 | ₹1,320 |
| Rainfed Paddy | ₹49,500 | ₹990 |
| Maize | ₹52,800 | ₹1,956 |
| Soybean | ₹55,000 | ₹1,100 |
| Groundnut | ₹46,200 | ₹924 |
| Pigeon Pea (Arhar) | ₹44,000 | ₹880 |
| Black Gram (Urad) | ₹33,000 | ₹660 |
| Green Gram (Moong) | ₹31,900 | ₹638 |
| Kodo Millet | ₹24,200 | ₹484 |
| Kutki | ₹24,200 | ₹484 |
| Ragi | ₹27,500 | ₹550 |
Loanee farmers cultivating notified crops in notified villages and Revenue Inspector circles can enrol through their respective financial institutions based on sanctioned or renewed seasonal agricultural loans.
Non-loanee farmers can apply through Public Service Centres (Lok Seva Kendras), banks, or the Farmer App after obtaining crop sowing verification from the Rural Agriculture Extension Officer. Farmers may also complete the registration process independently through the Farmer App.
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Applicants are required to submit a copy of their latest Aadhaar card, land records (B-1 and P-2), the first page of the bank passbook clearly showing the account number, IFSC code and bank address, crop sowing certificate or a self-declaration of the proposed crop, a valid mobile number, and, in the case of sharecroppers or tenant cultivators, the prescribed declaration.
Deputy Director of Agriculture Tikam Singh Thakur has instructed field officials to create awareness among farmers about the scheme. He appealed to cultivators to insure their crops before the July 31 deadline to safeguard themselves against losses caused by adverse weather conditions.
Farmers can also enrol for crop insurance through Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, Agriculture Insurance Company of India, Lok Seva Kendras, and the Farmer App.
