PM Modi to launch agri schemes

New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch two big schemes, including the 'PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana', for the agriculture sector with an outlay of Rs 35,440 here on Saturday.

The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that he will participate in a "special" programme at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute here and interact with farmers as well.

It said the programme underscores his continued commitment to farmer welfare, agricultural self-reliance, and strengthening rural infrastructure.

It will focus on promoting modern agricultural practices, supporting farmers, and celebrating significant milestones in farmer-centric initiatives.

The PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana has an outlay of Rs 24,000 crore.

It has the objective of enhancing agricultural productivity, increasing adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agriculture practices, augmenting post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block level, improving irrigation facilities and facilitating availability of long-term and short-term credit in 100 selected districts.

Modi will also launch the 'Mission for Aatmanirbharta' in pulses with an outlay of Rs 11,440 crore, the statement said.

It is aimed at improving productivity levels of pulses, expanding the area under pulse cultivation, strengthening the value chain -- procurement, storage, processing --“ and ensuring reduction of losses, it added.

He will also inaugurate projects valued at over Rs 5,450 crore in the agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing sectors, while laying the foundation stone for additional projects worth around Rs 815 crore.

The projects being inaugurated by him include artificial insemination training centres in Bengaluru and Jammu and Kashmir, centres of excellence at Amreli and Banas, an IVF lab at Assam under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, milk powder plants at Mehsana, Indore, and Bhilwara, and a Fish Feed Plant under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana at Tezpur, among others.

During the programme, Modi will distribute certificates to farmers certified under the National Mission for Natural Farming, MAITRI technicians, and Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Societies (PACS) converted to Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSKs) and Common Service Centres (CSCs).

It will mark important milestones achieved under government initiatives, including 50 lakh farmer memberships in 10,000 FPOs, of which 1,100 FPOs recorded an annual turnover of over Rs 1 crore in 2024-25.

Other achievements include the certification of 50,000 farmers under the National Mission for Natural Farming, certification of 38,000 MAITRIs (Multi-Purpose AI Technicians in Rural India), sanction and operationalisation of over 10,000 multipurpose and e-PACS for computerisation, and the formation and strengthening of PACS, dairy, and fishery cooperative societies.

Modi will interact with farmers engaged in pulses cultivation, who have benefitted from various government schemes aimed at establishing a value chain-based approach in agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries, the statement said. PTI KR RHL RHL