Kerala State Crop Insurance Scheme
The state’s own crop insurance for 26 crops — premiums start at ₹1 a tree, and a coconut palm pays ₹200 to ₹2,000 on total loss depending on its age.
Run by: Department of Agriculture Development & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of Kerala
- Crops covered
- 26
- Coconut
- ₹1/tree → ₹200–₹2,000
- Rice
- ₹25 → ₹15,000–35,000/ha
- Apply on
- AIMS portal
Overview
Kerala does not rely only on the central PMFBY. It runs a state crop insurance scheme of its own, and the reason is the cropping pattern: Kerala’s land is under coconut, rubber, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg and cocoa, and a scheme designed around seasonal field crops does not fit a plantation that takes years to replace.
Premiums are token rather than commercial — ₹1 a tree for a young coconut, ₹25 for a tenth of a hectare of rice, ₹1.50 a cardamom plant. Against that, compensation is meaningful: ₹200 to ₹2,000 per coconut palm depending on its age, ₹750 a cardamom plant, ₹15,000 to ₹35,000 a hectare for rice, ₹25,000 to ₹40,000 a hectare for vegetables. The catch to understand before enrolling is that the scheme pays on complete destruction of the crop from a natural calamity, not on a partial yield shortfall.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- Cover for 26 crops, including the plantation and spice crops that dominate Kerala’s land use.
- Token premiums — ₹1 per young coconut tree, ₹1.50 per cardamom plant, ₹25 for a tenth of a hectare of rice.
- Compensation of ₹200–₹2,000 per coconut palm by age, ₹750 a cardamom plant, ₹15,000–₹35,000 a hectare for rice and ₹25,000–₹40,000 a hectare for vegetables.
- Rice also carries cover for loss from pest and disease attack, not only weather.
- Paying three years of premium in advance is available at a reduced rate.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Farmer cultivating a covered crop in Kerala
- Minimum area met for that crop — 10 trees for coconut, 0.10 ha for rice, 0.04 ha for vegetables, 5 plants for cardamom
- Enrolled and premium paid before the crop passes the maximum age allowed for insuring it
- Registered on the AIMS portal
Not covered
- Crops enrolled after the maximum age fixed for insuring them
- Partial yield loss — the scheme pays on complete destruction of the crop
- Losses where reasonable steps to limit the damage were not taken
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- AIMS portal registration
- Aadhaar card
- Land record or possession certificate
- Bank passbook
- Details of the crop, area and number of trees or plants
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Enrol on AIMS well before the cut-off
Each crop has a maximum age beyond which it cannot be insured. Applying early is the single thing that decides whether you are covered at all.
- 2
Pay the premium for your crop and area
Rates are per tree, per plant or per unit area depending on the crop. Three years can be paid in advance at a reduced rate.
- 3
Report the loss and claim
Report crop loss to the Krishi Bhavan promptly. Officers assess the destruction on the ground before compensation is released.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as PMFBY?
No. This is Kerala’s own scheme, run by the state Department of Agriculture Development and Farmers’ Welfare, and it covers plantation and spice crops that the central scheme is not built around.
My yield was down by half. Can I claim?
Generally not. The scheme is written around complete destruction of the crop by a natural calamity rather than a partial shortfall in yield.
Can I insure after the crop is already standing?
Only up to the maximum crop age fixed for insuring that crop. Past that point enrolment closes, which is why the department asks farmers to apply well in advance.
Facts checked against keralaagriculture.gov.in on 24 July 2026. editorial policy.