Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced ‘Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’, which is likely to aid 1.7 crore farmers to boost agricultural productivity.
Presenting the Union Budget 2025 in Parliament, she said that motivated by the success of the ‘Aspirational Districts Programme’, the Central Government will undertake a ‘Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’ in partnership with states.
The minister said through the convergence of existing schemes and specialised measures, the programme will cover 100 districts with low productivity, moderate crop intensity and below-average credit parameters.
“The programme aims to enhance agricultural productivity, adopt crop diversification and sustainable agriculture practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block level, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit. This programme is likely to help 1.7 crore farmers,” she said.
Stating that a comprehensive multi-sectoral ‘Rural Prosperity and Resilience’ programme will be launched in partnership with states, the Finance Minister said this will address under-employment in agriculture through skilling, investment, technology, and invigorating the rural economy.
Sitharaman said the goal is to generate ample opportunities in rural areas so that migration is an option, but not a necessity.
She further said that the programme will focus on rural women, young farmers, rural youth, marginal and small farmers, and landless families.
“The programme aims in catalysing enterprise development, employment and financial independence for rural women, accelerating creation of new employment and businesses for young farmers and rural youth, nurturing and modernising agriculture for productivity improvement and warehousing, especially for marginal and small farmers and diversifying opportunities for landless families,” the Finance Minister said.
She also said that the global and domestic best practices will be incorporated and appropriate technical and financial assistance will be sought from multilateral development banks. In phase-1, 100 developing agri-districts will be covered, she added.
The minister also announced that the government will launch a 6-year ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ with a special focus on Tur, Urad and Masoor.
She said the Mission will place emphasis on development and commercial availability of climate resilient seeds, enhancing protein content, increasing productivity, improving post-harvest storage and management and assuring remunerative prices to the farmers.
The minister said a comprehensive programme to promote production, efficient supplies, processing, and remunerative prices for farmers will be launched in partnership with states.
The Finance Minister further said that Public Sector Banks will develop ‘Grameen Credit Score’ framework to serve the credit needs of SHG members and people in rural areas.