Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) for a six-year period starting 2025-26, with an annual outlay of Rs 24,000 crore.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key features of PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY).Mains: Significance of PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana.
PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana:
- PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) was announced in the Union Budget for 2025-26.
- The scheme draws from the Aspirational District Programme framework and is the first of its kind focused exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors. It aims to enhance productivity and sustainability in 100 backward agri-districts.
Objective of the Scheme:
The scheme aims to:
- Enhance agricultural productivity.
- Increase adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices.
- Augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels.
- Improve irrigation facilities.
- Facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit.
Key Features:
- It is a first-of-its-kind scheme that would focus exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors.
- Duration: 6 years beginning from 2025-26.
- Outlay: ₹24,000 crore per year.
- The scheme is modelled on the Aspirational District Programme of the Centre.
Implementation of the Scheme
- The scheme will be implemented through convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 departments, other State schemes and local partnerships with the private sector.
- 100 districts will be identified based on three key indicators: low productivity, low cropping intensity, and less credit disbursement.
- The number of districts in each State/ Union Territory 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.
- Committees will be formed at the district, state and national levels for effective planning, implementation and monitoring of the scheme. Central nodal officers will be appointed for field visits, review and monitoring.
- Dhan-Dhaanya Districts will be ranked based on their performance. A portal/ dashboard will be developed to monitor the progress of the scheme in each district on 117 key performance indicators on a monthly basis.
- District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan will be finalised by the District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti, which will be headed by the District Collector and include progressive farmers as members.The district plans will be aligned to 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.
- In addition, Central and State agriculture universities will be assigned each district as technical knowledge partners.
Significance
The government hopes that the scheme will result in :
- Higher productivity.
- Value addition in agriculture and allied sectors.
- Local livelihood creation while increasing domestic production and achieving self-reliance.
