The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) scheme, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity and income of 100 districts, with an annual outlay of Rs 24,000 crore.
The scheme, to be implemented through a convergence model, would draw financial allocations from 36 existing schemes across 11 ministries including agriculture, food, animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries, finance, rural development, cooperation and irrigation.
The scheme would be in operation for six years starting with the current fiscal and is projected to support around 17 million farmers.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, union minister for Information and broadcasting in a briefing said the scheme aims to enhance agricultural productivity, boost crop diversification, augment post-harvest storage at panchayat and block levels and facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit.
Drawn from the aspirational districts programme of NITI Aayog, 100 districts will be selected on the basis of three key criteria – low crop productivity, moderate crop density and below average credit penetration.
Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that despite record increased output of foodgrain, fruits and vegetable productions, there are variations across productivity amongst states and districts which the scheme would address.
At least one district will be selected from each state for the scheme, and the aim would be to bring their crop yields, credit penetration and other matrices to national levels.
Vaishnaw said that each selected district will devise a district-wise agriculture and allied activities plan. The plan will be devised by a committee under the district collector.
The panel will also undertake extensive consultation, understand the cropping pattern and allied activities under the agro-climatic conditions. There will be committees at the state levels and also a national level monitoring committee to regularly monitor the programme.
“The District Plans will be aligned to the national goals of crop diversification, conservation of water and soil health, self-sufficiency in agriculture and allied sectors as well as expansion of natural and organic farming,” according to an official statement. It stated that progress of the Scheme in each identified district will be monitored on 117 key performance indicators through a dashboard on a monthly basis.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget (2025-26) speech had first announced the launch of PMDDKY enhancing agricultural productivity, adopting crop diversification and sustainable agriculture practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block level, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of credit.