Chief minister holds review meeting on crop insurance scheme

Chief Minister Pu Lalduhoma today chaired a review meeting on the Crop Insurance Scheme – Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for 2025–26 at the Chief Minister’s Office. Agriculture Minister Pu PC Vanlalruata, senior Agriculture officials, and Finance Department representatives attended the meeting. Pi Ramdinliani, IAS, Secretary of the Agriculture Department, gave a detailed presentation on the implementation of PMFBY in India since its launch in 2016 and discussed plans for its rollout in Mizoram for the 2025–26 season. The scheme offers insurance coverage for crop losses due to various natural calamities such as floods, droughts, pests, diseases, landslides, lightning, hailstorms, natural fires, and animal attacks.

Premium rates are set at 2% for cereals and pulses, and 5% for commercial crops during the kharif season. In the rabi season, 1.5% is charged for cereals and pulses, and 5% for commercial crops. It also covers horticultural crops, with coverage valid for one season at a time. While insurance providers are usually selected annually, this year the government intends to partner with the Agriculture Insurance Company of India, a Government of India undertaking.

PMFBY involves contributions from the central government, state government, and farmers, and today’s meeting included a discussion on rationalizing the farmers’ share of the premium. The Mizoram government expressed its commitment to subsidizing the premium amount to ease the financial burden on farmers. All concerned departments agreed to actively coordinate for the successful implementation of the Crop Insurance Scheme 2025–26.