The Union Budget 2025-26 was tabled in the Parliament on February 1. This was the eighth Budget presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. For agriculture growth and productivity, the government has announced some schemes.
The Modi government's Budget announced a Prime Minister Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana in partnership with states. The programme is proposed to cover 100 districts for enhanced agriculture productivity and crop diversification along with sustainable agriculture practices; and help 1.7 crore farmers.
The government announced to launch a 6-year Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses with a special focus on Tur, Urad and Masoor.
In the state of Bihar, a Makhana Board will be established to improve production, processing, value addition and marketing of makhana, said Sitharaman. It will provide training support to makhana farmers and ensure that they receive government benefits.
A 5-year Mission for Cotton Productivity for improvements in productivity and sustainability of cotton farming will also be launched.
The finance minister stated that the Kisan Credit Cards will continue to provide short term loans to 7.7 crore farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers. Moreover, the loan limit for KCC borrowings will be raised to Rs 5,000 from the earlier Rs 3,000 under the revised interest subvention scheme.
The finance minister said that the Modi government will launch a national mission on high yielding seeds. Noting that India ranks second in fish and aqua culture, Sitharaman said that there will be a special focus on Andaman and Nicobar to tap the sector.
She also mentioned that global practices will be involved in the agriculture sector. "Global and best domestic practices will be incorporated, and appropriate technical and financial assistance will be sought from multilateral development banks," she said.
