Schemes for Farmers: India is an agricultural country, where slogans like “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” are given to honor farmers. India has approximately 90 to 150 million farmers, making it an agricultural nation. However, a large number of farmers live in poverty and deprivation. Several Indian governments have made efforts to address this issue and have launched numerous schemes for the benefit of farmers. The Indian government has implemented numerous projects for the progress and upliftment of farmers, which are making significant contributions to their progress in various sectors. Let’s explore some important schemes.
Prime Minister Kisan Maan-Dhan Yojana
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan-Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY) was launched on December 12, 2019. Under this scheme, farmers are provided with social security, i.e., a pension, by the government, so that they can live their old age with dignity. This pension amount is disbursed to farmers after they reach the age of 60, providing a monthly pension of Rs 3,000. Under this scheme, the government contributes an equal amount to the amount a farmer contributes.
Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana is a central government scheme for the development of farmers, which provides assistance to farmers in purchasing essential agricultural supplies, including seeds, fertilizers, and other agricultural equipment. Under this scheme, the government provides financial assistance of Rs 6,000 annually to each eligible farmer family, distributed in three Rs 2,000 installments.
Prime Minister’s Agricultural Irrigation Scheme
The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) aims to ensure that every farmer in the country has access to water for their crops and to improve their farming resources. The government’s goal is to ensure that farmers are not solely dependent on rain for their crops, but instead have access to modern farming equipment. This scheme includes building a network of pipes to deliver water to farms and developing water sources.
Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme
Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers are insured for crop loss at a premium of 2 to 5 percent, with the government providing all subsequent payments. If a farmer’s crop is damaged due to a natural disaster or other reason, they are provided financial assistance through insurance.
Kisan Credit Card and Crop Loan
The central government has launched a loan scheme for farmers in the country, under which farmers are provided crop loans of up to approximately Rs 3 lakh through Kisan Credit Cards (KCC). Instead of borrowing from moneylenders at high interest rates, farmers can now obtain loans from government banks under this scheme. The interest rate on this loan is also significantly lower. Farmers receive crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh at just 7% interest, and if they repay the loan on time, they receive an additional 3% discount. The most significant feature of this scheme is that farmers who take out loans up to ₹1.6 lakh do not need to mortgage their land or provide collateral.
