The Union Cabinet approved ‘Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’ with an annual outlay of Rs 24,000 crore for six years to boost crop yields in 100 districts.

The scheme, approved in the Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will kick start from October, during the rabi (winter) season.

Key points:

• The scheme draws inspiration from NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme.

• The plan is in pursuance of the Budget announcement for 2025-26 to develop 100 districts to enhance agricultural productivity, increase adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices.

• Apart from enhancing the crop yields, the scheme will also focus on the adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit.

• It will be implemented through the convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 departments, other state schemes and local partnerships with the private sector. 

• As many as 100 districts will be identified based on three key indicators of low productivity, low cropping intensity, and less credit disbursement.

• The number of districts in each state/UT will be based on the share of net cropped area and operational holdings. However, a minimum of one district will be selected from each state.

• A District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan will be finalised by the District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti, which will also have progressive farmers as members.

• The district plans will be aligned with 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. 

• Progress of the scheme in each Dhan-Dhaanya district will be monitored on 117 key performance indicators through a dashboard on a monthly basis.

• The scheme will result in higher productivity, value addition in agriculture and allied sector, local livelihood creation and hence increase domestic production.

• As the indicators of these 100 districts improve, the national indicators will automatically show an upward trajectory.

• The scheme will benefit about 1.7 crore farmers.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)