Knowledge of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bimal Yojna (PMFBY) Beneficiary Farmers in Haryana

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19183306

Jyoti, Jatesh Kathpalia, and Era Lamba (Department of Sociology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana)

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a crop insurance program, which was introduced in 2016 and is designed to offer farmers financial coverage against loss of yield as a result of natural calamities, pests, and disease outbreaks. The success of these insurance mechanisms to a great extent hinges on the knowledge and awareness of farmers. The current research determined the level of knowledge of 320 beneficiary farmers and its relationship with the socio-economic factors. The results indicated that a high level of knowledge was found in 48.13% of respondents, 38.75% showed medium level of knowledge, and 13.12% among respondents had low level of knowledge. The analysis showed that there was a very strong awareness of premium deduction, seasonal applicability, and direct benefit transfer mechanisms, whereas the awareness of such issues as the loss reporting timeline and a farm-level evaluation was lower. The chi-square test revealed that education, exposure to the mass media, risk orientation, and socio-economic status were statistically significant in relation to the level of knowledge (p < 0.01). The other variables like age, land holdings, income and loan status were not significantly related. The research highlights the importance of reinforcing the extension services and digital literacy along with specific awareness programs to increase successful involvement in PMFBY.