PM Launches Mega Agriculture Schemes to Boost Productivity and Self-Reliance

Context:

• Narendra Modi launched a comprehensive package of agriculture-focused schemes worth ₹35,440 crore, aimed at raising productivity, achieving pulses self-sufficiency, strengthening agri-infrastructure, and enhancing farmers’ incomes.

• The initiatives align with the Union Budget 2025–26 announcements and reinforce the government’s push for Atmanirbhar Bharat in agriculture with an export orientation.

Key Highlights:

Major Schemes and Financial Outlay

• PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY):

  • Outlay: ₹24,000 crore

  • Coverage: 100 agricultural districts

  • Selection criteria: Low productivity, moderate crop intensity, and below-average access to institutional credit.

• Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses:

  • Outlay: ₹11,440 crore

  • Objective: Increase domestic pulse production and reduce import dependence.

Infrastructure and Allied Sectors Push

• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF):

  • 1,054 projects inaugurated worth ₹3,650 crore completed after June 2024.

  • Focus on post-harvest management, storage, and value chains.

• Animal Husbandry & Fisheries:

  • 17 animal husbandry projects worth ₹1,166 crore.

  • 16 fisheries projects worth ₹693 crore under PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

• Food Processing:

  • 11 projects worth ₹808 crore under PM Kisan Sampada Yojana and PLI Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) to boost value addition and exports.

Strategy and Convergence

• PMDDKY will leverage convergence of existing schemes (credit, irrigation, seeds, extension) to deliver district-specific solutions.

• Emphasis on global market-aligned crops, enabling farmers to produce for both domestic needs and exports.

Farmer Support Measures

• Fertiliser subsidies: Over ₹13 lakh crore provided in the last 10 years.

• PM Kisan Samman Nidhi: ₹3.75 lakh crore directly transferred to farmers’ bank accounts.

• GST rate reductions: Lowered costs for farm machinery and animal husbandry inputs, improving profitability.

Economic and Governance Rationale

• Shift from input-heavy support to infrastructure-led productivity and value addition.

• Focus on district-centric planning, credit access, and supply-chain resilience.

• Aims to stabilise prices, enhance incomes, and reduce import dependence, especially for pulses.

Challenges and Way Forward

• Success hinges on:

  • Timely scheme convergence and last-mile delivery.

  • Extension services and quality inputs.

  • Strengthening markets, storage, and logistics.

• Balancing export orientation with domestic food security remains critical.

UPSC Relevance (GS-wise):

• GS Paper 3 – Indian Economy

  • Prelims:

    • PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, MSP, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF).

  • Mains:

    • Role of infrastructure and value addition in raising farm incomes.

    • Pulses self-sufficiency and import substitution.

    • District-centric approaches to agricultural transformation.

• GS Paper 2 – Governance

  • Prelims:

    • Government schemes for agriculture and allied sectors.

  • Mains:

    • Convergence-based governance and outcomes in rural development.

    • Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and subsidy reforms in agriculture.