Bhubaneswar, Aug 20: The registration deadline under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for the Kharif 2026 season has been extended to August 31, giving eligible farmers in Odisha additional time to insure their crops against losses caused by natural calamities and other unforeseen risks.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, extended the deadline following a request from the Odisha Cooperation Department to ensure wider coverage of eligible farmers under the crop insurance scheme.

Under the revised schedule, registration is open only to loanee farmers in Ganjam, Kalahandi, Puri, Subarnapur, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Gajapati, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur districts. In the remaining districts, all eligible categories of farmers can enrol.

Notified crops under PMFBY for Kharif 2026 include paddy, maize, groundnut, ragi, cotton, arhar, ginger and turmeric, subject to notified areas and crops.

Loanee, non-loanee and sharecropper farmers are eligible for coverage. Farmers can avail themselves of crop insurance free of cost for land up to five acres, with only Re 1 per plot required for bank account verification. The state government is bearing the farmers’ premium contribution, while the Centre is providing subsidy support.

Loanee farmers can register through PACS/LAMPCS and banks, while non-loanee farmers can enrol through CSCs, cooperative and commercial banks, insurance agents and approved digital platforms. Sharecroppers must submit required details along with landowners’ acknowledgement or consent.

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