In a major push to transform India’s agricultural landscape, the Government has rolled out a comprehensive suite of schemes aimed at enhancing farm infrastructure, empowering small and marginal farmers, and ensuring sustainable growth in the agriculture sector. These initiatives, ranging from credit support and market reforms to technology-driven innovations, are designed to increase productivity and raise farmers’ incomes in the long run.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, informed the Rajya Sabha today that significant progress has been made under key flagship schemes such as the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI), National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), and others.
Massive Investment Through Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) has emerged as a major catalyst for post-harvest management and community farming infrastructure. As of June 30, 2025, loans worth ₹66,310 crore have been sanctioned for 1.13 lakh projects under the scheme, mobilizing total investments of over ₹1.07 lakh crore. These include more than 30,000 custom hiring centres, 22,800 processing units, and 16,000 warehouses—significantly enhancing rural agri-logistics.
Enhancing Storage Capacity Under AMI
To address storage bottlenecks in rural areas, the Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) scheme, operational since 2001, has sanctioned nearly 50,000 godown projects with a combined storage capacity of 983 lakh metric tonnes. A total subsidy of ₹4,829 crore has been released under the scheme, benefiting farmers, FPOs, cooperatives, and agri-entrepreneurs.
Digital Agriculture Takes Center Stage
The Government’s push toward digitization is visible through the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), which now hosts over 1.79 crore registered farmers and 2.67 lakh traders. With a trading volume exceeding 12 crore metric tonnes, e-NAM has facilitated agri-trade worth ₹4.39 lakh crore, enabling farmers to receive competitive prices for their produce.
Boost to Horticulture & Natural Farming
The Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) continues to support post-harvest projects like cold storages and grading units with up to 50% subsidy in hilly areas. Meanwhile, the Natural Farming Mission, launched in 2022-23, promotes eco-friendly, chemical-free farming practices across the country, reducing input costs and improving soil health.
Direct Support & Risk Mitigation
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) has become a lifeline for millions of farmers, transferring over ₹3.69 lakh crore directly into the accounts of land-holding farmer families. At the same time, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has provided crop insurance claims worth over ₹1.83 lakh crore to 22.67 crore farmer applicants since its inception.
Empowering Small and Marginal Farmers
Recognizing the importance of smallholders, the government is providing comprehensive support in credit, technology, and irrigation:
- Credit Access: Under AIF, interest subvention and collateral-free loans up to ₹2 crore are available. Additionally, over 7.72 crore farmers now have active Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs).
- Technology Adoption: PMFBY now uses mobile-based crop cutting experiments, drones, and remote sensing for faster claim settlements. Programs like Drone Didi and the Digital Agriculture Mission are also gaining momentum.
- Efficient Irrigation: The Per Drop More Crop initiative promotes micro-irrigation through drip and sprinkler systems. Since 2022-23, it is being implemented under RKVY.
FPOs & Soil Health: Cornerstones of Sustainable Growth
The government is aggressively promoting Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to enhance collective bargaining power and market access. At the same time, over 25.13 crore Soil Health Cards have been distributed under the Soil Health & Fertility initiative, helping farmers understand and improve the nutrient profile of their soil.
By
