In a decisive move to modernize India’s agricultural sector and boost rural incomes, the Union Cabinet has approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) for a six-year period beginning FY 2025-26. The scheme aims to deliver integrated support to farmers by enhancing productivity, promoting crop diversification, and strengthening agri-infrastructure at the grassroots level.
The announcement was made by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
A Comprehensive, Convergent Approach
The PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana will be implemented through a convergence of 36 existing schemes operated across 11 Union Government departments, in collaboration with state-level programs and local partnerships, including those from the private sector. This approach is designed to maximize the impact of available resources and avoid duplication of efforts.
The scheme covers a wide range of objectives, including:
- Enhancing agricultural productivity through modern techniques and improved inputs
- Encouraging sustainable practices and crop diversification to reduce risk and promote food security
- Improving irrigation facilities and water-use efficiency
- Augmenting post-harvest storage capacity at the panchayat and block levels, including development of warehouses, cold storage, and farm-gate processing units
- Facilitating access to agricultural credit, both short-term and long-term, for farmers through institutional support
Tailored District Plans to Bridge Infrastructure Gaps
Under PMDDKY, every participating district will prepare a comprehensive agri-infrastructure development plan, identifying specific gaps and needs at the local level. These could include shortages in storage, market connectivity, processing capacity, or credit access. The gaps will then be addressed by aligning them with suitable central or state schemes, enabling a targeted and flexible implementation model.
This localized planning process aims to ensure that resources are used efficiently and interventions are customized to the unique agro-climatic and economic conditions of each region.
A Step Toward Farmer-Centric Growth
The launch of PMDDKY underscores the government’s continued focus on building farmer resilience, increasing income security, and promoting sustainable agriculture. By aligning policies and funding from multiple departments into a single framework, the scheme represents a transformational shift in agricultural development planning. Experts view this scheme as a critical enabler for achieving the goals of doubling farmers’ income, reducing post-harvest losses, and improving India’s position in global agri-value chains
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