Crop losses due to wild animal attacks to be covered under Fasal Bima Yojana from 2026 Kharif Season

New Delhi, Nov 18: Crop losses due to wild animal attacks will be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) from the Kharif (summer-sown) sowing season 2026, providing major relief to farmers, the government said on Tuesday.

In addition, losses incurred due to inundation of paddy crops because of heavy rains and floods will also be covered under the PMFBY. In a statement, the agriculture ministry pointed out that farmers across India have been facing crop losses due to attacks by wild animals, such as elephants, wild boars, nilgai, deer, and monkeys. These incidents are particularly common in regions situated near forests, wildlife corridors, and hilly terrains, it added. "Under the revised framework, crop loss due to wild animal attack will now be recognised as the fifth Add-on Cover under the Localised Risk category," it added.

States will notify the list of wild animals responsible for crop damage and identify vulnerable districts or insurance units based on historical data. "Farmers will be required to report losses within 72 hours using the Crop Insurance App by uploading geotagged photographs," the ministry said. Many states have been making demands in this regard.

"The modalities have been prepared in accordance with the PMFBY Operational Guidelines, ensuring a scientific, transparent and operationally feasible framework for implementation nationwide, and will be rolled out from Kharif 2026," the statement said. The ministry noted that crop losses due to wild animal attacks often went uncompensated as they were not covered under the crop insurance.

"Paddy farmers in flood-prone and coastal states have been repeatedly affected by inundation during heavy rains and overflowing waterways," the statement said.