Crop Damaged? How to Claim PMFBY Crop Insurance, Step by Step

17 October 2026· Figures accurate as of 17 October 2026

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A hailstorm, a flood or a sudden downpour on a cut crop can undo a whole season. If you insured that crop under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), you may be owed money. But for some kinds of damage the claim depends on one thing you do in the first three days: report the loss. This guide explains which losses you must report yourself, how to report them, and what happens after that. It uses the Government of India's own statements, not guesses.

If you have not enrolled yet, start with our guide to crop insurance under PMFBY or the PMFBY scheme page. The steps below are the same in every state that runs the scheme.

First, know which kind of loss you have

PMFBY pays for losses in two different ways. Only one of them needs you to act quickly.

Kind of loss	Example	Do you report it yourself?
Localised calamity on your own field	Hailstorm, landslide, waterlogging (inundation), cloudburst or natural fire damages your field	Yes, within 72 hours
Post-harvest loss	A cut crop left to dry in the field ("cut and spread") is hit by cyclone or unseasonal rain, within 14 days of harvest	Yes, within 72 hours
Yield loss across your area	Drought, dry spell, flood, pests or disease lowers the yield across the notified area	No. It is worked out for the whole area from crop-cutting data
Prevented sowing	Bad weather stops most farmers in the area from sowing after they have spent money	No. It is decided for the area, and pays up to 25% of the sum insured

The first two are assessed farm by farm, which is why the clock matters. The government's own explanation for the 72-hour window is that signs of damage from these events fade after about three days.

Step 1: Report the loss within 72 hours

Report as soon as you can, and no later than 72 hours after the event. The government names three ways to do it:

The Crop Insurance App on your phone.
A Common Service Centre (CSC) near you.
Your nearest agriculture officer.

For help, or if you get stuck, call 14447. This is the toll-free Krishi Rakshak Portal and Helpline for crop insurance, where you can ask questions and register a complaint. You can also ask the bank where you enrolled whether it can take the report for you.

Have these ready when you report:

Your policy number or application number (it is on your premium receipt)
Your name, village, and the survey or khasra number of the field
The crop, the date of the damage, and what caused it
Photos of the damaged field, if you can take them safely

Write down the ticket or complaint number you are given. You will need it to follow up.

Step 2: Let the field be checked

For a localised or post-harvest loss, the damage is assessed field by field. The government says loss surveys are being recorded digitally on a Crop Loss Assessment App (CLAP). Until someone has looked at the field:

Keep your own photos, with the date, and note the names of anyone who comes to inspect.
If you can, leave a part of the damaged crop as it is, so it can be seen.
Never pay anyone to "survey" your field or to "pass" your claim.

Step 3: Track the claim

Call 14447 again with your ticket number. The government says complaints on this helpline get a ticket number and are resolved within a fixed time.
Check with your bank if you are a loanee farmer, since your policy came through the bank.
Keep every paper: premium receipt, policy number, ticket number, photos and dates.

Step 4: The money comes to your bank account

Claims are worked out on the National Crop Insurance Portal and paid directly into the farmer's bank account through the government's payment system (the Digiclaim module, in use since Kharif 2022). So make sure the account on your policy is the right one and is active.

If the insurance company is late: from Kharif 2024, a 12% penalty on a delayed claim payment by the insurance company is calculated automatically on the portal. The scheme aims to settle claims within about two months of harvest, but the exact cut-off dates are set in the official guidelines for each season.

What is not covered

War, nuclear risks, riots and theft
Losses from negligence or other preventable causes
Losses before sowing or after the crop leaves the field
Crops in areas or seasons that were not notified, or where the premium was not paid in time
Wild animal damage, unless your state has chosen to add it as an extra cover at its own cost

For waterlogging, note one exception from the government's 2026 statement: for paddy, jute, mesta and sugarcane, inundation is covered for the area-wide yield loss, but not as a localised (single-field) claim.

Common mistakes

Waiting for the harvest to report hail or rain damage. By then the 72 hours are long gone.
Reporting without a ticket number and having no proof that you reported.
Assuming a drought claim needs a form. Area-wide losses are worked out for everyone in the notified area.
A wrong or closed bank account on the policy, so the money cannot reach you.
Paying an agent. The government's ways to report cost nothing, and 14447 is a toll-free number.

What we could not confirm

Whether 72 hours is still the window on your exact policy. It is the rule the government has stated since 2018 and repeated in 2022, and the guidelines were revised again in 2023. Ask your bank or insurer to confirm it for your season.
How many days the insurer has to inspect your field. We could not find this in a current official statement.
Whether your state covers wild animal damage as an add-on this season. Ask your district agriculture office.
Exact settlement dates for your crop and season. They are set for each season.
Whether your bank or the insurance company will take a loss report directly. The government's statements name the app, a CSC and the agriculture officer. Ask your bank.

Protect yourself from scams

Never share your OTP, bank PIN or Aadhaar number with someone who calls about a "crop insurance claim".
The only number to remember is 14447. Do not trust numbers sent in forwarded messages.
Never pay a fee to get a claim "approved" or "released".

Where to read next

This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Cover, reporting windows and claim timelines are set in the official guidelines for each season and can change. Confirm the details with your bank, the insurance company or your district agriculture office.

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