Why was my PMFBY claim rejected even though my crop clearly failed?

A visibly poor crop does not by itself guarantee a payout, because PMFBY pays on specific rules, and rejections usually trace to one of these. One, the area approach held up, meaning the average yield of your whole notified unit from crop-cutting experiments stayed above the threshold, so the yield-based cover did not trigger even if your single field did badly. Two, crop mismatch, where the crop you actually sowed differs from the crop on your policy. Three, late or no intimation for a localized or post-harvest loss, since those need reporting within about 72 hours. Four, the cause of loss was not a covered peril, for example a pest attack or a non-notified cause. Five, document or record problems, like land or bank details not matching. To act on it, first get the written reason for rejection, then check which category it falls in. If it is the area approach, the localized or post-harvest heads may still apply if reported in time. If it is a record or process error, your bank, the insurer toll-free number or the district grievance channel can help you correct and re-raise it. The exact grievance route is on the PMFBY portal.