There would be flexibility for the states and Union Territories to implement the scheme with an option to select any or many of additional risk covers or features like prevented sowing, localised calamity, mid-season adversity, and post-harvest losses, the statement said.

Further, the states and UTs can offer specific single-peril risk or insurance covers, like hailstorm, under the PMFBY even with or without opting for base cover (both PMFBY and RWBCIS). States will not be allowed to implement the scheme in subsequent seasons in case of considerable delay by them in the release of requisite premium subsidy to insurance companies concerned beyond a prescribed time limit. Cut-off dates for invoking this provision for Kharif and Rabi seasons will be March 31 and September 30 of successive years respectively for both PMFBY and RWBCIS, the Agriculture Minister said.