Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches two major schemes in the agriculture sector with an outlay of Rs 35,440 crore

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in a special Krishi programme at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, where he interacted with farmers before addressing a public gathering. During the event, he launched two major schemes in the agriculture sector with a combined outlay of ₹35,440 crore.

The PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, with an allocation of ₹24,000 crore, aims to enhance productivity, promote sustainable practices, improve irrigation, strengthen post-harvest storage, and facilitate credit access across 100 districts. The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, with a budget of ₹11,440 crore, is targeted at increasing pulse production, expanding cultivation areas, and building a strong procurement and processing ecosystem.

In addition, the Prime Minister inaugurated and dedicated to the nation projects worth over ₹5,450 crore across agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing sectors. He also laid the foundation stone for additional projects valued at ₹815 crore.

The event highlighted the government’s continued efforts to reform and modernize Indian agriculture. Over the past eleven years, India has witnessed significant growth in foodgrain, fruit, vegetable, milk, egg, honey, and fish production, supported by structural reforms and investment. Initiatives such as soil health cards, micro-irrigation expansion, crop insurance under PM Fasal Bima Yojana, and the establishment of over 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations have contributed to this progress.

The government emphasized that India’s agricultural exports have nearly doubled, and the sector has seen substantial investments in fertilizer plants, cooperative models, and infrastructure development. The Prime Minister also underscored the success of the Aspirational Districts Programme, which inspired the model for PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana. This initiative will operate through convergence of 36 central schemes, district-level planning, and a focus on localized needs.

The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses seeks to increase pulse cultivation by 35 lakh hectares, with a focus on tur, urad, and masoor, and will directly benefit nearly two crore farmers. The government aims to strengthen nutrition security, reduce import dependency, and support farmers through assured procurement mechanisms.

The programme also highlighted the government’s focus on women’s leadership in agriculture through initiatives such as Namo Drone Didis, Krishi Sakhis, and the campaign to create three crore Lakhpati Didis. Natural farming clusters, drone-based services, and value-added sectors like beekeeping, fisheries, and livestock are being actively promoted.

Recent GST reforms have reduced the cost of tractors, drip irrigation systems, sprinkler equipment, organic fertilizers, and other essential farm tools, offering direct savings to rural households.

The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to increasing farmers’ income, diversifying their opportunities, and expanding export-oriented agriculture. He called on farmers to contribute to making India a developed nation by embracing innovation, sustainability, and global competitiveness.

The event also featured distribution of certificates to farmers under the National Mission for Natural Farming, MAITRI Technicians, and PACS integrated as PMKSKs and CSCs. Key milestones were celebrated, including the creation of 10,000 FPOs, certification of over 50,000 natural farming practitioners, computerization of PACS, and diversification into cooperative services.

Several projects were inaugurated, including Artificial Insemination Training Center at Bengaluru and in J&K; Centre of Excellence at Amreli and Banas; Establishment of IVF Lab at Assam under Rashtriya Gokul Mission; Milk Powder Plants at Mehsana, Indore, and Bhilwara; Fish Feed Plant under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana at Tezpur, Assam; Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters, Integrated Cold Chain, and Value Addition Infrastructure, among others.

Foundation stones were laid for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (Irradiation) in Krishna, Andhra Pradesh; Trout Fisheries in Uttarakhand; Integrated Aqua Park in Nagaland; Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour in Karaikal, Puducherry; and State-of-the-art Integrated Aquapark in Hirakud, Odisha, among others.

The initiatives announced at the programme underscore the government’s long-term strategy to build a self-reliant, globally competitive, and farmer-centric agricultural ecosystem.