There is no single national list of crops covered by Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The scheme covers three groups of crops: food crops (cereals, millets, pulses), oilseeds, and annual commercial or annual horticultural crops. But only the crops that your state notifies for your district or insurance unit in a given season can actually be insured. A farmer pays 2% of the sum insured for kharif food grain and oilseeds, 1.5% for rabi food grain and oilseeds, and 5% for annual commercial and horticultural crops, or the actuarial rate if that is lower. The government pays the rest of the premium.
So "is my crop covered?" has a local answer. Check the notification for your village on pmfby.gov.in, at your bank branch or at the block agriculture office before you pay anything. After a loss, read how to claim, and see the overview on our PMFBY page.
What the scheme covers, by crop group
| Crop group | Typical examples (only if notified in your area) | Farmer premium, kharif | Farmer premium, rabi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food crops: cereals, millets, pulses | Paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, ragi; wheat, barley; tur, moong, urad, gram, masoor | 2% of sum insured | 1.5% of sum insured |
| Oilseeds | Soybean, groundnut, sunflower, sesamum; mustard, taramira, linseed | 2% | 1.5% |
| Annual commercial and annual horticultural crops | Cotton, sugarcane, potato, onion, turmeric, ginger, chilli, in states that notify them | 5% | 5% |
| Perennial horticultural or commercial crops | Only where the state runs a pilot and a yield-estimation method exists | 5% | 5% |
The examples are typical categories, not a promise: the Operational Guidelines only name the groups. The farmer premium caps are from Table 1 of the guidelines. Where the actuarial rate for a crop is lower than the cap, you pay the lower rate.
Real examples of state-notified lists
- Odisha, Kharif 2026 (reported July 2026): paddy, maize, groundnut, ragi, cotton, red gram (tur), ginger and turmeric in designated areas, with last date 31 July 2026, later extended to 15 August. The same report says Odisha farmers insuring up to 5 acres paid only ₹1 per plot as account validation, because the state pays the premium. That is a state arrangement, not the national rule.
- Rajasthan, rabi: reports list wheat, barley, gram (chickpea), mustard, taramira and cumin among notified rabi crops, but coverage differs from district to district.
- Deadlines differ too: for Kharif 2026 the national cut-off was 31 July, yet several states extended to 15 or 16 August.
Sum insured and what your premium works out to
The sum insured per hectare is either the Scale of Finance (the crop loan amount fixed by the district committee) or the notional average yield times MSP or farm-gate price. Your premium is the percentage above times sum insured times area.
| Illustration (assumed sum insured) | Per hectare | Per acre |
|---|---|---|
| Rabi wheat, sum insured ₹50,000/ha, premium 1.5% | ₹750 | about ₹304 |
| Kharif soybean, sum insured ₹55,000/ha, premium 2% | ₹1,100 | about ₹445 |
| Cotton, sum insured ₹70,000/ha, premium 5% | ₹3,500 | about ₹1,417 |
The sums insured above are assumptions to show the arithmetic (1 hectare = 2.47 acres); your district's actual figure is on the state notification. The rest of the actuarial premium is shared 50:50 by Centre and state (90:10 in the North-East), and a state may add more subsidy.
Who can enrol, and what you need
- All farmers growing notified crops in notified areas, including sharecroppers and tenant farmers, if they can show they cultivate the land. Participation is voluntary, including for farmers with a crop loan or KCC.
- Documents: Aadhaar, bank passbook with IFSC, land record (Record of Rights or equivalent) or, for tenants, the lease or possession paper your state accepts, and a declaration of the crop sown or to be sown.
- Loanee farmers: the bank debits the premium from the crop loan or KCC. If you do not want cover, the guidelines ask you to opt out at least 7 days before the enrolment cut-off.
- Non-loanee farmers: apply through any bank branch, a Common Service Centre, directly on pmfby.gov.in under Farmer Corner, or an insurance agent, and pay the premium before the cut-off.
- Check your status on the portal a week later; if your record is missing, get it corrected before the cut-off date.
Cut-off dates for rabi 2026-27
The Operational Guidelines give 15 December as the indicative rabi cut-off, and states commonly notify dates between mid and end of December. For Rabi 2026-27 your state's own notification is the binding date. Bihar, which is returning to PMFBY this season, is reported to be taking applications from 15 November 2026 to 15 January 2027. If you miss the date you cannot insure that crop for that season.
What is covered and what is not
- Covered (basic cover): yield loss to standing crop from sowing to harvest from drought, dry spell, flood, inundation, widespread pest and disease, landslide, natural fire due to lightning, storm, hailstorm and cyclone.
- Add-ons where the state notifies them: prevented sowing, mid-season adversity, post-harvest loss up to 14 days, localised calamities, and from Kharif 2026 wild animal attacks.
- Excluded: war and nuclear risks, malicious damage and other preventable risks.