Jitendra Daharwal and Kailash Meena, both farmers from Madhya Pradesh, know all too well the unpredictable threats that can destroy a season’s hard work in hours.
Near the Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Daharwal works his 30-acre farm under constant threat. Tigers regularly slip into his fields, scattering terrified labourers. Two hundred kilometres away in Sheopur district, another farmer, Meena, stood powerless as heavy rains flooded his paddy fields, drowning his entire harvest and piling on debts he could not repay. Overwhelmed, Meena took his own life.
For years, neither man had any financial shield against such disasters. Countless others like them have either abandoned farming to seek work in cities or, like Meena, reached a breaking point. That changed on 18 September 2025, when the government announced a major expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The revamped scheme now covers crop losses from wild animal attacks and flooding offering farmers a vital safety net and a reason to stay on the land.
Starting from Kharif 2026, the crop insurance scheme will cover losses from wild animal attacks and paddy field flooding, two risks that have plagued farmers like Daharwal and Meena for years but were previously excluded from compensation.
The decision marks a significant shift in recognizing the real, climate-driven and wildlife-related challenges farmers face daily.
These two tragedies in the state highlight the twin threats crushing India’s farmers: marauding wildlife from shrinking forests and ever-more destructive weather. One message stands out: farmers urgently need a robust, reliable safety net to protect their livelihoods.
Ground Report told the story of Jitendra, a father to an 11-year-old son, who walked away from a comfortable corporate job as a designer to chase his dream of farming on his ancestral land. What began as a hopeful return to the soil has now left those dreams in pieces.
During the Kharif season of 2024, when tiger roars were heard from the nearby forest, his laborers fled the farm. Now, he can neither find laborers nor find peace of mind. Working in the fields has become a fearful task. Not only are crops suffering, but attacks on livestock have also increased.
The Pench Tiger Reserve, which straddles the border of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, is today home to 125 tigers and other animals. This is a conservation success, but for the villages along its banks, fear and uncertainty have now threatened the livelihoods of farmers.
Jitendra’s dream was to make his farm a model for “farm tourism” and diversified farming, but the threat of tigers, rising costs and a shortage of labour brought everything to a halt.
Sheopur’s Submerged Fields and Suicides
Our video report from Sheopur district captured the despair gripping farmers after weeks of unseasonal rains turned vast stretches of farmland into lakes. Paddy fields lie submerged, harvests are ruined, and debts are mounting.
The suicide of farmer Kailash Meena has laid bare the silent anguish shared by thousands. More than 429 villages in the district have been officially declared flood-hit. Yet farmers say damage assessment surveys are painfully slow, compensation remains a distant promise, and those with any surviving crop are getting rock-bottom prices at mandis.
With the rabi sowing season already delayed, anger is rising. Farmers have taken to the streets, demanding transparent compensation, immediate payouts, and a complete waiver of their loans. For many in Sheopur, the floods have not just drowned their fields; they have washed away hope.
What changed?
The government has taken a major step to address both these crises. The Union Agriculture Ministry has announced that it will cover losses caused by wild animal attacks (such as elephants, wild boars, and nilgai) and flood damage to paddy under the PMFBY from Kharif 2026. This decision was taken in response to a long-standing demand from several states.
Wild animal attacks will be recognized as the fifth add-on cover under the localized risk category. Wild animal attacks have been forcing farmers to abandon farming, especially those living near forests. Farmers will be required to upload geo-tagged photos to the crop insurance app within 72 hours for assessment.
State governments will now identify districts and areas where specific animals cause significant damage so that special measures can be taken. Additionally, flood and waterlogging coverage, which was removed in 2018, has been reinstated. This is expected to provide relief to coastal and rice-growing areas. However, concerns have been raised that assessments using satellite-based techniques may result in farmers receiving lower compensation than previously.
Will Crop Insurance Save Farmers?
If we talk about the figures, then according to the PIB’s August 11 Release, approximately 41.9 million loanee and 52.2 million non-loanee farmers have been insured under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in the financial year 2024-25. The central government allocated Rs 14,600 crore as a premium subsidy, while states also contributed an equal share towards the insurance cost.
Traditional crop loss assessment, which was previously based on crop-cutting surveys at the tehsil level, is now being integrated with modern satellite-based survey and loss assessment systems to increase accuracy and reach more farmers. These satellite technologies helped distribute compensation o f over ₹3,200 crore to over 3 million farmers across the country in August 2025 for losses incurred during the previous crop season.
For farmers like Jitendra and families in Sheopur, the expansion of this insurance could be a relief. It would provide a formal mechanism that acknowledges their changing risks. However, policy development alone is not enough. Initiatives such as timely on-the-ground surveys, involvement of local communities in wildlife management, market reforms for fair crop prices, and investment in sustainable technology are equally important.
Improved buffer zones and tree plantations along forest edges can reduce conflict, while flood control measures and improved drainage can reduce damage caused by rain. The government’s increased priority on farmer-focused schemes will only be effective if they are implemented efficiently on the ground.
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