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Raipur, December 17, 2024: Central Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) from Rs. 21933.50 crore during 2013-14 to Rs. 122528.77 crore in 2024-25, Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur told the Lok Sabha today.
Various reforms and policies of the Centre has been focused on higher income for farmers by modernizing and rationalizing use of inputs, to decrease cost, increasing production, remunerative returns, income support, old age security, etc, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Ram Nath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha said.
The Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) from Rs. 21933.50 crore during 2013-14 to Rs. 122528.77 crore in 2024-25, Thakur said.
Agriculture being a State Subject, the State Governments take appropriate measures for development of agriculture in the State, he said.
However, Government of India supports the efforts of States through appropriate policy measures, budgetary allocation and various schemes and programmes. They are meant for the welfare of farmers by increasing production, remunerative returns and income support to farmers, he said.
Strategies have been adopted for increasing farmer incomes include improving crop productivity, reducing cost of production, agricultural diversification, adaptation to climate change for sustainable agriculture and compensation of farmers’ losses, the Union Minister said.
Indian Council on Agricultural Research (ICAR) has released a compilation of success stories of 75,000 farmers, who have increased their income more than two times by convergence of schemes being operated by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and the allied Ministries/Departments.
To address the existing infrastructure gaps and mobilize investment in agriculture infrastructure, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) was launched to transform the agriculture infrastructure, the Union Minister said.
AIF is a medium – 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, he said.
Union Cabinet approved the progressive expansion of AIF on 28.8.2024 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 & convergence of PM Kusum ‘A’. Key projects approved under AIF are 18,606 Custom Hiring Centres, 16,276 Primary Processing Units, 13,724 Warehouses, 3,102 sorting and Grading Units, 1,909 Cold Storage Projects and around 21,394 other types of post-harvest management projects and community agricultural assets, informed Thakur.
