Jammu Kashmir Enrols 11.5 Lakh Farmers Under PMFBY, Receives Rs 40.28 Crore in Kharif Claims

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has cumulatively enrolled 11.5 lakh farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, with 72,356 crop insurance claims worth Rs 40.28 crore received for the Kharif 2025 season, officials said during a review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo. The meeting also noted that 2.01 lakh farmers covering 75,732 hectares were registered during the Kharif season, and 1,68,421 of the 4,35,313 eligible KCC holders were brought under crop insurance this year.

The Chief Secretary called upon all banks and financial institutions to ensure complete saturation of the scheme ahead of the upcoming Rabi season, emphasising that the registration window remains open until December 31. He said the government has said the crop insurance scheme provides an essential safeguard to farmers facing losses from adverse weather and natural calamities, and urged banks and field agencies to mobilise intensively at the ground level. He also directed the Agriculture Production Department to submit insurance claims promptly to enable timely settlements.

Dulloo instructed all Deputy Commissioners to monitor coverage expansion closely and address on-ground challenges hindering enrolment. The DCs shared district-level feedback, highlighting both gaps and opportunities in achieving saturation of PMFBY across the Union Territory.

Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Shailendra Kumar, said bank branches should be assigned daily enrolment targets over the next 45 days to ensure universal coverage before Rabi sowing begins. He urged banks to treat all crop categories equally rather than focusing disproportionately on cash crops, and asked them not to delay claim processing due to concerns about the UT’s contribution, assuring that the required share would be released ahead of disbursals.

The meeting also reviewed progress on tendering for the Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme, with five insurance companies submitting bids for the Jammu division and four for the Kashmir division. The bids will be opened on November 17 to facilitate the timely rollout of the scheme across all districts.