Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: There has been a close to six-fold increase in the budget allocation for the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare from Rs 21,933.50 crore during 2013-14 to Rs 122,528.77 crore in 2024-25, the Lok Sabha was informed on December 17.
The major schemes being implemented for farmers’ welfare include the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) and Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Ram Nath Thakur, said in a written reply in the Lower House.
Thakur stated that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has released a compilation of success stories of 75,000 farmers who have increased their income more than two times through the convergence of schemes being operated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and allied ministries.
He explained that AIF was launched to address the existing infrastructure gaps and mobilise investment in agriculture. AIF is a medium to long-term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and viable farming assets, through interest subvention and credit guarantee support.
The Union Cabinet approved the progressive expansion of the AIF by expanding the scope of eligible projects.
This includes allowing individual eligible beneficiaries for creation of infrastructure covered under ‘viable projects for building community farming assets’, integrated processing projects and convergence of PM KUSUM ‘A’.
