Home / Environment / Farmers Seek PMFBY Cover for Animal Crop Losses
Farmers Seek PMFBY Cover for Animal Crop Losses
21 Sep
Summary
- Proposal seeks insurance for farmers hit by wild animal crop damage.
- Pilot program for wildlife add-on cover suggested from kharif 2026.
- Assessment mechanism aims for better compensation for affected farmers.
Wildlife conservationist Giridhar Kulkarni has proposed that the Karnataka forest department explore insurance coverage for farmers whose crops are damaged by wild animals. This proposal suggests piloting a "wild animal attack add-on cover" under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), potentially from the kharif 2026 season, aligning with a revised national framework. The plan calls for coordination between forest and agriculture departments to identify high-conflict areas, vulnerable crops, and specific wild animals responsible for depredation.
The proposed mechanism emphasizes farm-level assessments to better compensate farmers for highly localized crop losses, which often affect only specific fields. Kulkarni highlighted that farmers already contend with severe climate-related issues, and crop destruction by elephants, wild pigs, and other animals adds a significant financial burden. The proposal recommends piloting this in national parks, sanctuaries, tiger reserves, and adjacent areas with high human-wildlife conflict incidences.
Further steps include assessing financial and administrative feasibility, obtaining premium quotations, and exploring funding sources like Tiger Conservation Foundations or CSR partnerships. It is explicitly stated that this insurance coverage should supplement, not replace, existing forest department compensation schemes for crop damage.
