Government Schemes

केंद्र सरकार ने पीएम-आशा योजना को 2025-26 तक जारी रखने की मंजूरी दी

केंद्र सरकार ने प्रधानमंत्री अन्नदाता आय संरक्षण अभियान (पीएम-आशा) को 2025-26 तक जारी रखने की मंजूरी दी है। इस योजना का उद्देश्य किसानों को उचित मूल्य प्रदान करना और आवश्यक वस्तुओं की कीमतों में अस्थिरता को नियंत्रित करना है।

पीएम-आशा योजना के तहत मूल्य समर्थन योजना (पीएसएस) के माध्यम से अधिसूचित दालों, तिलहनों और कापरा की खरीद न्यूनतम समर्थन मूल्य (एमएसपी) पर की जाती है। यह खरीद केंद्रीय नोडल एजेंसियों द्वारा राज्य स्तरीय एजेंसियों के माध्यम से पूर्व-पंजीकृत किसानों से सीधे की जाती है।

सरकार ने 2024-25 खरीद वर्ष के लिए तूर, उड़द और मसूर की खरीद को राज्य के उत्पादन के 100% तक की अनुमति दी है। इसके अलावा, बजट 2025 में घोषणा की गई है कि अगले चार वर्षों तक इन दालों की 100% खरीद जारी रहेगी, ताकि देश में दालों में आत्मनिर्भरता प्राप्त की जा सके।

कई राज्यों में तूर की खरीदारी पहले ही शुरू हो चुकी है, जिससे किसानों को अपनी उपज के लिए एमएसपी प्राप्त करने में सहायता मिल रही है। इस पहल से न केवल किसानों की आय में वृद्धि होगी, बल्कि बाजार में दालों की उपलब्धता भी सुनिश्चित होगी।

सोर्सेस: Centre approves continuation of PM-AASHA scheme till 2025-26; tur procurement starts in many states - The Economic Times

 

HIM Unnati Yojana

This yojana has been recently launched in Himachal Pradesh on 9th August 2024. The moto behind the establishment of this yojana is to promote natural farming across the state. This initiative was introduced with a budget of ₹150 crore.

The aim and purpose of this scheme is to promote natural informing as well as enhance the socio-economic conditions of farmers in the region of Himachal Pradesh. Moreover, it aims to establish 2,600 agricultural clusters over the next five years.

Objective of HIM Unnati Yojana

  • Unite smallholding farmers to come along and enable bulk production to ensure a sufficient marketable surplus.
  • It focuses on making agriculture economically viable with the help of cluster-based development model.
  • In near future, this scheme will integrate various ongoing agricultural schemes.
  • This scheme will bring together various departments like animal husbandry, horticulture, fisheries, and rural development.
  • HIM Unnati Yojana aims to double the income of farmers by just promoting innovative agricultural technologies and practices.
  • This scheme is expected to generate self-employment opportunities for over 50,000 farmers and increase the productivity by 15-20% (especially in vegetables and cereals).
  • Also comes with 100% soil test-based nutrient management.

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

PM Narendra Modi on New Year said that the government's first decision on the occasion of New Year is dedicated to farmers. Further, he approved to increase the allocation for crop insurance scheme. Want to know why? Well, this is to offer security to farmer’s crops and to mitigate any concerns about potential damage.

The cabinet approved the continuation of this yojana and restructured weather-based crop insurance scheme till 2025-26 with an overall outlay of Rs. 69,515.71 crore for 2021-22 to 2025-26.

In addition, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers welfare. National Insurance Company started participating in this yojana from Rabi 2016 onwards and covered 8 States and 2 Union Territories.

Farmer’s share of premium in this yojana is Rs.453 crores and with subsidy from government Rs.1909 Crores as well as gross Premium is Rs.2362 Crores for the 5 seasons together.

On the other hand, the claims of Kharif 18 and Rabi 18 are under process.

Purpose or Objectives of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

  • The aim and purpose of this scheme is to provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in case of any failure or unforeseen events.
  • To stabilize the income of farmers.
  • Encourage farmers to explore modern agricultural practices and adopt innovative solutions.
  • To ensure the flow of credit to the agriculture sector.

Risks Covered by PMFBY

Here are the following risks covered:

  • Post-Harvest Losses: Covers crops kept in “cut & spread” condition to dry in the field after harvesting.

  • Yield Losses: It covers yield losses occurred due to natural fire, lighting, flood, landslide, drought, tempest, tornados, draught, inundation, dry spells, pests, diseases, and more.

  • Prevented Sowing: Where insured farmers of notified areas intent to sow/plant and incurred expenditure for the purpose.

  • Localized Calamities: Loss or damage resulted from identified localized risks i.e. hailstorm, landslide, and Inundation.

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund Scheme

India is one such country that is continuously relying on best practices to help farmers. With that said, recently, the Union cabinet of India, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the progressive expansion of Agriculture Infrastructure fund (AIF) on 28 August 2024.

This has been approved to specifically enhance and strengthen the agricultural infrastructure and support the farming community.

Now the question arises, how?

To answer, due to the expansion of scope of eligible projects and integrate additional supportive measures. Moreover, the financial facilities will be provided to support agri-entrepreneurs, startups, state agencies, Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, state sponsored Public Private partnerships, and more.  

Key Objectives

The objective behind the introduction of this scheme is to mobilize a way to long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects.

What it covers? Post-harvest management projects come under this scheme. To name some, it covers warehouse, e-marketing platforms, cold chain, logistic facilities, pack-houses, silos, and others.

The reason why these projects have been covered is to build community farming assets like bio stimulant production units, organic input production, precision agriculture, and more.

This scheme mandates borrowers to contribute at least 10% of total project cost regardless of the capital subsidy available.

What is the Impact of AIF Scheme?

Well, agriculture infrastructure fund scheme has impacted the agricultural sector by transforming it completely. Below, you can find the significant achievement of this scheme and the impact of its recent expansion:

  • Infrastructure Development: Due to this scheme, 6,623 Warehouses, 688 Cold stores, and 21 Silo projects was introduced.
  • Storage Capacity: Under this scheme, the total additional capacity generated were 500 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT), dry storage was expanded up to 465 LMT, and the cold storage was expanded till 35 LMT.
  • Crop Preservation: With the emergence of agriculture infrastructure fund scheme, it highlights the savings in terms of food grains and horticulture produce due to improved preservation methods. The overall goal is to extend the shelf life of crops, reduce post-harvest losses, and ensure food security. With that in mind, the food grain preservation was extended up to 18.6 LMT and horticulture produce was 3.44 LMT.

Benefits of AIF Scheme

  • Let farmers sell products directly to a larger base of consumers with improved marketing infrastructure.
  • Farmers can reduce post-harvest losses by making investments in logistics infrastructure.
  • Due to modern packing facilities and access to cold storage system access, farmers can further decide when to sell products in the market and improve realization.
  • It provides community farming assets to improve productivity.
  • Helps in enlarging customer base and diversification of portfolio.
  • With the continuous improvements in post-harvest infrastructure, government will further be able to reduce national food wastage percentage and enable the agriculture sector to become competitive with current global levels.

Consequently, this will make farmers independent and improve access to market.

Government Initiatives That Boost Agri Infrastructure

  • Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF): Supports the expansion of micro-irrigation coverage by providing low-interest loans through NABARD.
  • Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region: It brings certified organic production clusters across the North Eastern Region of India with the aim to create a value chain from inputs to consumer markets and boosting exports.
  • Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): This aims to cover farmers and their lands within three years in collaboration with state governments.
  • Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure: It is a component of the Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing (ISAM) which provides help in transforming godowns and warehouses in rural areas.
  • Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana: This scheme addresses challenges in fish production and post-harvest infrastructure.

Digital Agriculture Mission

Recently, India’s digital revolution has been transforming the governance and service delivery. Want to know how? By creating digital identities, secured payments, and transactions. These changes paved the way for a flourishing ecosystem across a lot of sectors.

This mission was introduced by the Union Cabinet in 2 September 2024 with an outlay of Rs. 2817 Crore. In addition, it even includes the central share of Rs. 1940 Crore. Moreover, this mission aims to introduce a comprehensive farmer-centric digital and space-tech ecosystem. This is implemented to enhance transparency and efficiency in the execution of government programs.

Despite this, it is conceived as an umbrella scheme which will support digital agriculture initiatives like the development of Digital Public Infrastructure, carrying out the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), and accomplishing other IT initiatives by the Central Government, State Governments, and Academic and Research Institutions.

Key Objectives of this Mission

  • Foster a holistic farmer-centric digital ecosystem.
  • Improve transparency and efficiency to implement government initiatives.
  • Support government to make informed decisions.
  • Promote private and public partnerships.
  • Facilitating Agri techs in India’s digital economy.

Features of Digital Agriculture Mission

As stated earlier, this mission supports digital agriculture initiatives and is built on 2 foundational features. Those are named as AgriStack and Krishi Decision Support System (DSS). Look below the detailed description about them:

  • Agri Stack (Kisan ki Pehchaan): It is a farmer-centric DPI that streamlines services and scheme delivery with 3 components such as farmer’s registry, geo-referenced village maps, and crown sown registry.
  • Krishi Decision Support System (DSS): It integrates remote sensing data with information on crops, soil, weather, and water resources. This will further create a comprehensive geospatial system. Also, DSS supports crop map generation, drought and flood monitoring.

Benefits of the Digital Agriculture Mission

  • Improve crop yield and productivity.
  • Enhance decision-making for farmers.
  • Efficient resource management.
  • Improve supply chain management.
  • Crop insurance.
  • E-learning platforms.
  • Agri-tech startups.
  • Weather forecasting.

Significance of Digital Agriculture Mission

  • Help farmers in taking informed decisions.
  • Provide accurate data on crop area and yield.
  • Prevents and mitigates losses.
  • Optimize value chain and tailor advisory services.
  • Improves service delivery for farmers.

Potential Challenges

  • Low Digital Literacy Among armers: Many farmers lack the skills to use digital tools.
  • High Initial Investment Costs: Modern digital technologies require higher upfront investment.
  • Resistance to Change: Since traditional farming practices are widely used, many farmers are skeptical to adopt new technologies.
  • Lack of Standardized Data: The absence of unified database makes it harder to develop and implement digital solutions.
  • Limited Vernacular Content: Still there are modern technologies that are not available in local languages which might limit their accessibility.

Clean Plant Programme

Since agriculture is the state subject, the Union Cabinet of India chaired by Prime Minister Narender Modi approved the Clean Plant Programme on 09.08.2024 with an outlay of Rs. 1765.67 crore. The value invested was to redefine the horticulture sector in India.

The primary aim behind this platform programme is to increase the yield and productivity of horticulture crops in India. In addition, it even aim to enhance the quality of fruit crops across the nation.

You know what the best part is? Under this programmer, 9 world class Clean Plant Centers (CPCs) will be established across India, each focusing on specific fruit types. These centers are armed with advanced diagnostic therapeutics and tissue culture labs.

The centers of CPP are:

  1. Grapes: Pune, Maharastra
  2. Temperate Fruits (Apple, Almond, Walnuts, etc.): Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
  3. Temperate Fruits (Apple, Almond, Walnuts, etc.): Mukteshwar, Uttarkhand
  4. Citrus Fruits: Bikaner, Rajasthan
  5. Citrus Fruits: Nagpur, Maharastra
  6. Mango/Guava/Dragon Fruit/Avocado: Bengaluru, Karnataka
  7. Mango/Guava/Litchi: Lucknow
  8. Pomegranate: Solapur, Maharastra
  9. Tropical/Sub-Tropical Fruits in Eastern India

Key Components of CPP

  • CPCs (as stated right above)
  • Development of regulatory framework under the Seeds Act, 1966.
  • Support to develop infrastructure for large-scale nurseries.
  • Clean plant certification scheme is created to accredit private nurseries.

Benefits:

  • Provides virus-free, superior planting material to boost crop yields.
  • Help nurseries to produce clean planting material by streamlining certification processes and infrastructure support.
  • Reduce the cost of fruits by increasing the production.
  • Actively engages women farmers and enable them to participate in planning, resource access, training, and decision-making processes.
  • Fosters growth and sustainability in the nursery sector.
  • Expand market opportunities and increases its share in the international fruit trade.

Significance of Clean Plant Programme

  • Reduce fruit import.
  • Reduce import of plant materials.
  • Boosts Atmanirbhar Bharat
  • Address import bottlenecks.
  • It can bolster India’s position in the global fruit market.
  • Lastly, CPC will cut the quarantine period down to six months.

Kisan Credit Card Scheme

Objective

The scheme aims at providing adequate and timely cred it for the comprehensive credit requirements of farmers under single window for their cultivation and other needs as indicated below:

  • To meet the short term credit requirements for cultivation of crops
  • Post harvest expenses
  • Produce Marketing loan
  • Consumption requirements of farmer household
  • Working capital for maintenance of farm assets, activities allied to agriculture, like dairy animals, inland fishery and also working capital required for floriculture, horticulture etc.
  • Investment credit requirement for agriculture and allied activities like pump sets, sprayers, dairy animals, floriculture, horticulture etc
  • Short term credit requirements of rearing of animals, birds, fish, shrimp, other aquatic organisms, capture of fish.
  • Eligibility and credit limit

Eligibility

  • All farmers-individuals/Joint borrowers who are owner cultivators.
  • Tenant farmers, Oral lessees and Share Croppers etc.
  • SHGs or Joint Liability Groups of farmers including tenant farmers, share croppers etc.,

 

The criteria for eligible beneficiaries under KCC for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries is as follows

Fishery Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture - Fishers, Fish Farmers (individual & groups/ partners/ share croppers/ tenant farmers), Self Help Groups, Joint Liability Groups and women groups. The beneficiaries must own or lease any of the fisheries related activities such as pond, tank, open water bodies, raceway, hatchery, rearing unit, possess necessary license for fish farming and fishing related activities, and any other State specific fisheries and allied activities.

Marine Fisheries - Beneficiaries listed above, who own or lease registered fishing vessel/boat, possess necessary fishing license/permission for fishing in estuary and sea, fish farming/mariculture activities in estuaries and open sea and any other State specific fisheries and allied activities.

Poultry and small ruminant - Farmers, poultry farmers either individual or joint borrower, Joint Liability Groups or Self Help Groups including tenant farmer of sheep/goats/pigs/poultry/ birds /rabbit and having owned/rented/leased sheds.

Dairy - Farmers and Dairy farmers either individual or joint borrower, Joint Liability Groups or Self Help Groups including tenant farmers having owned /rented/leased sheds.

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

The new Crop Insurance Scheme is in line with One Nation – One Scheme theme.  It incorporates the best features of all previous schemes and at the same time, all previous shortcomings / weaknesses have been removed. The PMFBY will replace the existing two schemes National Agricultural Insurance Scheme as well as the Modified NAIS.

Objectives

  • To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crop as a result of natural calamities, pests & diseases.
  • To stabilise the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming.
  • To encourage farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices.
  • To ensure flow of credit to the agriculture sector.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched on 1st July 2015 with the motto of ‘Har Khet ko Pani’ for providing end to end solutions in irrigation supply chain, viz., water resources, distribution network, farm level applications and improving water use efficiency. Micro irrigation (MI) is being popularized to ensure ‘Per Drop – More Crop’ (PDMC).

Objective

Har Khet ko Pani “Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayee Yojana”

Government of India is committed to accord high priority to water conservation and its management. To this effect Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has been formulated with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation ‘Har Khet ko pani’ and improving water use efficiency ‘More crop per drop' in a focused manner with end to end solution on source creation, distribution, management, field application and extension activities. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister has accorded approval of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) in its meeting held on 1st July, 2015.

PMKSY has been formulated amalgamating ongoing schemes viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR) and the On Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC). PMKSY has been approved for implementation across the country with an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore in five years.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a new Central Sector Scheme to provide income support to all landholding farmers' families in the country to supplement their financial needs for procuring various inputs related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs.

Eligibility

All land holding eligible farmer families (subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria) are to avail of the benefits under this scheme.

The following categories of beneficiaries of higher economic status shall not be eligible for benefit under the scheme.

  • All Institutional Land holders.
  • Farmer families in which one or more of its members belong to following categories
  • Former and present holders of constitutional posts
  • Former and present Ministers/ State Ministers and former/present Members of LokSabha/ RajyaSabha/ State Legislative Assemblies/ State Legislative Councils,former and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations, former and present Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
  • All serving or retired officers and employees of Central/ State Government Ministries /Offices/Departments and its field units Central or State PSEs and Attached offices /Autonomous Institutions under Government as well as regular employees of the Local Bodies (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff /Class IV/Group D employees)
  • All superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is Rs.10,000/-or more (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff / Class IV/Group D employees) of above category
  • All Persons who paid Income Tax in last assessment year
  • Professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with Professional bodies and carrying out profession by undertaking practices.

 

Benefits

Under the PM-KISAN scheme, all landholding farmers' families shall be provided the financial benefit of Rs. 6000 per annum per family payable in three equal installments of Rs. 2000 each, every four months.