VIJAYAWADA: Prompted by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s call to safeguard every cultivated acre against potential El Niño risks, Andhra Pradesh has recorded a historic surge in crop insurance enrollment for Kharif 2026. The State witnessed a remarkable 1,263% jump in non-loanee farmer registrations, with their participation rising from 2 lakh in the previous Kharif season to 25.26 lakh farmers this year.
Releasing the updated state crop insurance figures as of August 31, Director of Agriculture Manazir Jeelani Samoon confirmed that out of 23.41 lakh hectares cultivated in the State, a staggering 16.77 lakh hectares, accounting for 72% of the actual sown area, has been brought under insurance coverage.
The yield-based Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), covering 15 crop varieties, concluded its enrollment on August 31, while the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), covering 7 crops, closed on August 15. A comparative analysis of Kharif 2026 performance against Kharif 2025 highlights a massive leap across all key operational metrics. The insured area increased by 215%, more than doubling from 7.84 lakh hectares in Kharif 2025 to 16.88 lakh hectares in Kharif 2026.
Total applications received grew by 220%, jumping from 19.50 lakh applications last year to 42.44 lakh applications this season—comprising 32.06 lakh under PMFBY and 10.37 lakh under RWBCIS. The total number of insured farmers rose by 210%, climbing from 7.57 lakh to 15.95 lakh.
While loanee farmer participation remained steady at 17.65 lakh compared to 17.49 lakh, non-loanee farmer participation registered unprecedented 1,263% spike.
Under PMFBY, Paddy led total enrollment with 21.46 lakh applications covering 3.81 lakh hectares (37% of actual cultivated area). Red Gram recorded 4.94 lakh applications covering 3.93 lakh hectares (172% of actual area), Red Chillies saw 2.15 lakh applications covering 1.29 lakh hectares (121% of actual area), and Maize recorded 1.83 lakh applications covering 66,962 hectares (72% of actual area).
Under RWBCIS, Groundnut spearheaded weather-based coverage with 5.89 lakh applications covering 3.29 lakh hectares (259% of actual area), followed by Cotton with 3.62 lakh applications covering 2.13 lakh hectares (54% of actual area).
Manazir Jeelani Samoon credited the government’s proactive sensitization campaign and field-level administrative machinery for translating the Chief Minister’s vision into ground-level success. He emphasized that this comprehensive coverage will provide a robust financial safety net for the state’s farming community against unpredictable weather patterns.
