The Indian government has announced several updates and initiatives in farming policies aimed at enhancing productivity, sustainability, and farmer welfare.
- PM Kisan Samman Nidhi: This scheme continues to provide direct financial assistance to 11.8 crore small and marginal farmers, with an allocation of Rs 60,000 crore for 2024-25.
- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): This crop insurance scheme covers four crore farmers, providing protection against adverse weather conditions and other unforeseen events. The scheme aims to increase awareness and accessibility in rural areas.
- e-NAM Integration: The government is integrating 1,361 agricultural markets (mandis) into the electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform to enhance transparency and efficiency in trading, benefiting 1.8 crore farmers.
- Post-Harvest Loss Reduction: Public-private partnerships are being promoted to improve infrastructure and storage facilities to minimize post-harvest losses, which amount to significant annual economic losses.
- Atmanirbhar Oil Seeds Abhiyan: This initiative aims to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oils by promoting the cultivation of indigenous oilseeds like mustard and groundnut through research, modern farming techniques, and improved market linkages.
- Nano DAP Adoption: Following the successful introduction of Nano Urea, the government is expanding the use of Nano DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) across various crops and climatic zones to reduce dependency on traditional fertilizers.
- Organic and Natural Farming: The government is supporting the transition to organic farming with initiatives like the establishment of 10,000 bio-input resource centers and schemes like PM-PRANAAM to reduce chemical fertilizer use.
- Micro Irrigation and Soil Health: The “Per Drop More Crop” (PDMC) scheme promotes micro-irrigation technologies to increase water use efficiency and the Soil Health Card scheme provides farmers with information on nutrient status and appropriate soil management practices.
- Agricultural Mechanization: The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) aims to increase the reach of mechanization to small and marginal farmers, including the promotion of drone technology for pesticide and nutrient application.
These measures are part of the broader effort to improve the agricultural value chain, enhance farmer incomes, and ensure food security in India.