India, Dec. 9 -- The Government of India has issued a release:

During 2023-24, as per the First Revised Estimates (FRE) of GVA at Basic Prices 2011-12, the GVA of agriculture sector is estimated at Rs. 23,67,287 Crore registering a growth of 2.7% and during 2024-25, the GVA of agriculture sector is estimated at Rs. 24,76,805 Crore registering a growth of 4.6% as per the provisional estimates of GVA at Basic Prices 2011-12. In addition to this, the total foodgrain production in the country during 2024-25 is estimated at a record 3577.32 LMT which is higher by 7.65% i.e. 254.34 LMT than the production of foodgrain of 3322.98 LMT achieved during 2023-24.

Further, in order to help the farmers facing challenges related to rising input costs related to seeds, labour wages, pesticides, and fertilizers, The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare isimplementing various central sector and centrally sponsored schemes, which are annexed.To improve the market access, the Government is implementing National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) with the aim to enhance opportunities for farmers and traders by enabling them to access a transparent and competitive digital trading platform that connects markets across India.

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, a part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) is being implemented by the Government which aims to evolve, and implement strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to the changing climate.

Further, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)is focusing on the development of high-yielding climate resilient and nutritionally rich field-crop varieties along with the location specific production and protection technologies. Developed improved varieties, production and protection technologies are being disseminated among farmers for large-scale adoption through outreach activities viz., training/sensitization programmes during the crop season, on-farm trials & frontline demonstrations, diagnostic field visits and field friends programmes as well as through social media platforms.

The PM-KISAN scheme is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 by the Hon'ble Prime Minister to supplement the financial needs of farmers with cultivable land-holding. Under the scheme, a financial benefit of Rs. 6,000/- per year is transferred in three equal instalments, into the Aadhaar seeded bank accounts of farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Under the PM-KISAN Scheme, cultivable landholding is primary eligibility criteria to receive benefit of the Scheme subject to some certain exclusions relating to higher income status.

To ensure transparency and efficient implementation, several technological measures have been introduced, including integration with PFMS, UIDAI, and the Income Tax Department. Further, land seeding, Aadhaar-based payments, and e-KYC have been made mandatory to ensure benefits reach only to the eligible farmers.

Moreover, in order to expand coverage and to ensure that no eligible farmers are left out from the Scheme, the Government of India often undertakes saturation drives in coordination with the State Governments. A major nationwide saturation drive was undertaken from 15th November 2023 under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY), during which, more than 1.0 Cr. farmers were included under PM-KISAN. Further, under the new Government's 100 days initiative, over 25 lakh eligible farmers were added under the PM-KISAN scheme. Additionally, a special drive was conducted in September 2024 to clear the pending self-registration cases, which resulted in the addition of over 30 lakh new farmers.

The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) in the Country from 2015-16. PDMC focuses on enhancing Water Use Efficiency (WUE) at farm level through Micro Irrigation namely Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation Systems. From the year 2015-16 to 2021-22, the PDMC was implemented as a component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). From the year 2022-23, the PDMC is being implemented under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). Under the PDMC, the Government provides financial assistance @ 55% for small and marginal farmers and @ 45% for other farmers for installation of Drip and Sprinkler systems

The Cabinet has approved Modernization of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) as a sub-scheme of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti on 09.04.2025. The scheme aims for modernization of the irrigation water supply network to supply irrigation water from existing distributary canals or other water sources in a designated cluster. It is envisaged to facilitate the creation of backend infrastructure supporting micro-irrigation from established water sources up to the farm gate (up to about 1 Ha). The scheme envisages to enhance 'On Farm Water Use Efficiency (WUE)' by providing pressurized pipe irrigation network and encouraging the farmers to adopt drip/ sprinkler systems for efficient use of water. The M-CADWM pilot implementation covers 23 States/UTs.

The Government of India is implementing the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) to promote precision farming, satellite-based crop monitoring, and AI-driven advisories for improving productivity and resource efficiency. The Mission focuses on building a strong Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture, including AgriStack, the Krishi Decision Support System, and comprehensive soil profile mapping. AgriStack comprises foundational databases such as Farmers' Registry, Geo-referenced Village Maps, and Crop Sown Registry, enabling timely and reliable crop-related information for farmers. The Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) supports the Mission through satellite-based crop forecasting under the FASAL project, drought monitoring, and technological support to PMFBY through YES-TECH and digital crop-cutting experiments. The Government is also promoting AI and IoT-based solutions for personalized advisories and improved farm management. Key initiatives include the AI- powered Kisan e-Mitra chatbot for farmer queries and the National Pest Surveillance System, which uses AI/ML tools to detect pest infestations and reduce crop losses.

The Government is implementing a Central Sector Scheme for "Formation andPromotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)". Under this scheme, 10,000FPOs have been registered across the country. Under the scheme, FPO management cost of Rs.18 lakh over 3 years, is availableto each FPO. FPO can also avail matching equity grant of upto Rs.15 lakh per FPO (asagainst Rs.2000 contribution per farmer). Additionally, the scheme provides for credit guarantee facility upto Rs.2 crore, from eligible lending institutions.

Annexure

Major schemes/ programmes of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

1. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)

2. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)

3. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)/ Restructured Weather Based CropInsurance Scheme (RWBCIS)

4. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)

5. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)

6. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs)

7. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)

8. Namo Drone Didi

9. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)

10. Pradhan MantriAnnadataAaySanraksHanAbhiyan (PM-AASHA)

11. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises' (AgriSURE)

12. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)

13. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)

14. ParamparagatKrishiVikasYojana (PKVY)

15. Soil Health & Fertility (SH&F)

16. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)

17. Agroforestry

18. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)

19. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)

20. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)

21. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)

22. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM)

23. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)

24. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm

25. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds

26. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region

27. Digital Agriculture Mission

28. National Bamboo Mission

This information was given by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.