Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, October 11, launched two major schemes worth Rs 35,440 crore aimed at transforming India’s agriculture sector and strengthening rural infrastructure. The schemes – PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana and Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses – were launched at a special Krishi programme held at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi on the birth anniversary of Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan.
Focus on productivity and sustainability
The PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, with an allocation of Rs 24,000 crore, seeks to enhance agricultural productivity through crop diversification, improved irrigation and sustainable farming practices. It will also boost post-harvest storage facilities at the panchayat and block levels and provide easier access to both short-term and long-term credit across 100 identified districts, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Alongside, the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, with a funding of Rs 11,440 crore, aims to make India self-reliant in pulse production by expanding cultivation areas, improving yields and strengthening the entire value chain – from procurement and storage to processing and distribution. The mission is designed to cut import dependence and ensure better returns for pulse growers.
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Major projects in allied sectors
PM Modi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for a series of projects worth more than Rs 6,200 crore covering agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and food processing. These include Artificial Insemination Training Centres in Bengaluru and Jammu and Kashmir, Centres of Excellence in Amreli and Banas and an IVF Lab in Assam under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission.
Other projects inaugurated include milk powder plants in Mehsana, Indore and Bhilwara; a fish feed plant at Tezpur, Assam, under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and new agro-processing and cold chain facilities in multiple states.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation for major initiatives such as an Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure in Krishna, Andhra Pradesh; Trout Fisheries in Uttarakhand; Integrated Aqua Parks in Nagaland and Odisha and a Smart and Integrated Fishing Harbour in Karaikal, Puducherry.
The programme also highlighted key milestones in farmer welfare and cooperative reforms. Over 50 lakh farmers have joined 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), with 1,100 of these achieving an annual turnover of more than Rs 1 crore in 2024-25. Other achievements include the certification of 50,000 farmers under the National Mission for Natural Farming and the training of 38,000 MAITRIs (Multi-Purpose AI Technicians in Rural India) to support livestock development. As part of the cooperative computerisation initiative, more than 10,000 multipurpose and e-PACS units have been sanctioned and made operational.
Additionally, over 10,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) have diversified into Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras and Common Service Centres, expanding both agricultural and digital services across villages.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi reiterated his government’s commitment to making Indian agriculture more resilient and self-reliant. He said the twin initiatives would not only strengthen the country’s rural economy but also ensure that farmers benefit from modern technology, better infrastructure, and enhanced access to credit and markets.
