Cyclone Arnab: PMFBY crop loss must be reported in 72 hours, insurer says
Published
Cyclone Arnab flooded Srikakulam on 28 October. Insured farmers have 72 hours to report crop loss, one insurer's PMFBY page says. The routes, what that page says is covered, and how insurance differs from the state's Rs 25,000-a-hectare relief.
Original report · Explained
Farmers whose crops are insured under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and were damaged by Cyclone Arnab need to report the loss within 72 hours, according to the PMFBY page of crop insurer IFFCO-Tokio, read on 28 October 2026 (IFFCO-Tokio, 2026). That page lists the national crop helpline, 14447, as one way to do it.
The clock matters now. Cyclone Arnab flooded Srikakulam district on 28 October, cutting off villages in Laveru, Ranasthalam, Ponduru and G. Sigadam mandals, Deccan Chronicle reported (Deccan Chronicle, 2026). Below: how to report a loss, what the insurer says is covered, and how insurance differs from the state's relief. See how every outlet covered it.
Report the loss within 72 hours
A farmer must intimate the loss within 72 hours, IFFCO-Tokio's PMFBY page says, through any of five routes (IFFCO-Tokio, 2026):
- the crop helpline, 14447
- the insurance company
- your bank
- the agriculture department
- the National Crop Insurance Portal
IFFCO-Tokio also lists its own line, 1800-103-5490. This is one insurer's summary of the scheme; we could not open the official PMFBY guidelines, so confirm the rules with your insurer or agriculture office.
What happens after the call depends on what the policy covers.
What the insurer page says is covered
IFFCO-Tokio's page lists cyclone damage to harvested crops left to dry in the field, for up to 14 days after harvest (IFFCO-Tokio, 2026).
It also lists localised risks assessed farm by farm: hailstorm, landslide, inundation, cloudburst and lightning fire.
Whether cyclone damage to a standing crop is a claim for each farm, or is paid through area-wide yield estimates, is not clear from what we could read. Ask the insurer before assuming either.
The insurer's own claim timeline
After a loss is reported, IFFCO-Tokio's page says an assessor is appointed within 48 hours, the loss is assessed within 10 days, and the claim is settled within 15 days (IFFCO-Tokio, 2026). These are that insurer's stated targets, not a guarantee from the scheme.
The same page puts the farmer's premium at 2% of the sum insured for kharif crops and 1.5% for rabi. The state's relief is a separate payment.
Insurance is separate from the state's input subsidy
Andhra Pradesh's relief for Cyclone Arnab includes Rs 25,000 a hectare for paddy, sugarcane, cotton and groundnut, and Rs 15,000 a hectare for other notified crops, as set out in our report Cyclone Arnab in Srikakulam: Rs 5 lakh ex gratia and the crop relief rates, citing IAAN Express. Those payments follow a damage assessment.
The subsidy is announced by the state; insurance is a contract with an insurer that a farmer must already hold. No source we read says whether one payment affects the other.
Whether Andhra Pradesh has PMFBY running this kharif season is also unconfirmed. Check enrolment with your bank, insurer or mandal agriculture office before relying on a claim.
What happens next
Srikakulam's rivers were expected to peak over 28 and 29 October, and riverside villages are on alert for five days, Deccan Chronicle reported (Deccan Chronicle, 2026). For insured farmers, the 72-hour window runs from the loss, so the first call cannot wait for the water to recede.
Questions people are asking
How do I claim crop insurance after a cyclone?
Report the loss within 72 hours through 14447, the insurer, your bank, the agriculture department or the National Crop Insurance Portal, IFFCO-Tokio's PMFBY page says (IFFCO-Tokio, 2026).
What is the PMFBY helpline number?
14447, according to IFFCO-Tokio's PMFBY page (IFFCO-Tokio, 2026).
Is cyclone damage covered under PMFBY?
IFFCO-Tokio's page lists cyclone damage to harvested crops drying in the field for up to 14 days; cover for standing crops is not confirmed in what we read (IFFCO-Tokio, 2026).
How much is the PMFBY premium for farmers?
2% of the sum insured for kharif crops and 1.5% for rabi, according to IFFCO-Tokio (IFFCO-Tokio, 2026).
References
- Deccan Chronicle (2026) Cyclone Arnab Batters Srikakulam, Floods Villages. Deccan Chronicle. Available at: Cyclone Arnab batters Srikakulam, floods villages (Accessed: 28 October 2026).
- IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance (2026) Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana - Crop Insurance. IFFCO-Tokio. Available at: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana - Crop Insurance (Accessed: 28 October 2026).
How we did this
On 28 October 2026 we read IFFCO-Tokio's PMFBY page for the claim rules and Deccan Chronicle for the flooding in Srikakulam, and set the insurer's claim steps against the state relief rates in our own Srikakulam report. The official PMFBY guidelines and pmfby.gov.in did not open for us, so every claim rule here is attributed to one insurer's page. We found no reporting on Odisha's farmers to include. The hero is our flow chart of the claim steps as that page describes them.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 2 outlets across the spectrum: 0% left, 0% center, 50% right.
Who is covering this story
- Right-leaning (1): Deccan Chronicle
- Not yet rated (1): IFFCO-Tokio
Sources
- Cyclone Arnab Batters Srikakulam, Floods Villages — Deccan Chronicle (right-leaning) ·
- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana - Crop Insurance | PMFBY — IFFCO-Tokio (not yet rated) ·