Modi Unveils ₹35,440 Crore Agricultural Initiatives to Boost Production

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched two significant agricultural schemes on March 15, 2024, with a total investment of ₹35,440 crore. These initiatives aim to promote self-reliance in pulse production and encourage farmers to enhance agricultural output to meet both domestic and international demands. Speaking at the event held at the Pusa Campus in New Delhi, Modi emphasized the vital role farmers play in realizing India’s vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

The two major schemes include the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY), which has an allocation of ₹24,000 crore, and the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, with a funding of ₹11,440 crore. Modi remarked that these initiatives would “change the fate of millions of farmers” across the country. Additionally, he inaugurated projects valued at over ₹5,450 crore in sectors such as agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing, while laying the foundation for further projects worth approximately ₹815 crore.

Key Objectives of New Agricultural Schemes

The PM-DDKY aims to revitalize 100 underperforming agricultural districts, following the model of the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP). The scheme focuses on improving crop productivity, promoting crop diversification, enhancing irrigation and storage facilities, and ensuring access to credit in these selected areas.

For the pulse production mission, Modi urged farmers to increase the acreage dedicated to pulses by 3.5 million hectares by 2030. The goal is to elevate pulse production from the current 252.38 lakh tonnes to 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31, which would significantly reduce the country’s dependence on imports.

During his address, Modi criticized the previous Congress government, accusing it of neglecting the agricultural sector and lacking a clear vision for its development. He highlighted various reforms implemented over the past eleven years, which aimed to transform the agricultural landscape in India. “In the interest of farmers, we have taken several reforms from seed to market (Beej se Bazaar tak),” he stated.

Achievements and Future Directions

Modi also shared notable achievements during his administration, including a doubling of farm exports and an increase in food grain production by 90 million tonnes. Additionally, he reported that the production of fruits and vegetables rose by 64 million tonnes. He pointed out that the recent reduction in goods and services tax (GST) rates has positively impacted rural India, leading to lower prices for farm machinery such as tractors.

The event included notable attendees, such as Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, and Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary. These initiatives are positioned as critical steps towards enhancing India’s agricultural capabilities and ensuring food security for the nation.