Schemes for Farmers: This is significant good news for farmers. The Modi government is moving forward with the goal of increasing farmers’ income. In this regard, it will launch two new schemes. In many states, these schemes will begin before the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. However, the 21st installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana has already been deposited into the accounts of farmers in four states: Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Because these areas have suffered significant losses due to recent rains and floods, funds were released first. Funds will be deposited for farmers in other states soon. Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced another significant piece of good news for farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch two new schemes at an event in Delhi’s Pusa area on October 11th. These are the “Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana” and the “Dalan Atmanirbhar Mission.” The minister stated that both schemes will help increase farmers’ income and boost productivity.
Objectives of the Dhan-Dhanya Yojana
Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that crop productivity is not uniform across the country. He stated that districts with low productivity will be identified and special steps will be taken to increase productivity. The scheme will focus on issues such as irrigation, storage facilities, credit facilities, and crop diversification. He stated that 100 districts have been selected for the initial phase.
Importance of the Pulses Mission
According to the Union Minister, although the country is a major producer of pulses, it remains dependent on imports. He stated that the current production of pulses in the country is 24.2 million tons, and the target is to increase it to 35 million tons. The Minister stated that the focus is on developing high-yielding, pest-resistant, and climate-resilient seeds for pulse crops. He stated that 12.6 million quintals of certified seeds will be distributed to farmers and 8.8 million free seed kits will be provided.
He said that setting up processing units in pulse-growing areas will provide better prices to farmers. To this end, 1,000 processing units will be established, with a subsidy of Rs 2.5 million per unit. The program will also include the inauguration and foundation stone laying of projects related to the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing sectors.
The Minister stated that both these schemes will be crucial for increasing farmer productivity, income growth, and self-reliance. He stated that the Center and states will work together on the principle of “One Nation – One Agriculture – One Team.” Overall, the government will launch these new programs with the aim of improving the future of farmers and moving the country towards food self-sufficiency.