Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY):
The Centre has announced 100 Aspirational Agriculture Districts under the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), aiming to boost farm productivity and rural prosperity.
- The PMDDKY announced in the Union Budget 2025 to make farming easier, modern, and more profitable.
- It is modeled after the NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), but focused exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors.
- PMDDKY has no separate budgetary allocation, it converges budgets of 36 existing schemes from 11 departments, including Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (cash transfers), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance), and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (irrigation) with an annual outlay of Rs 24,000 crore from 2025-26 to 2030-31, totaling Rs 1.44 lakh crore.
- Around 40% is earmarked for subsidies, 30% for infrastructure, 20% for loans, and 10% for training and market support.
Key Objectives of the Scheme:
- Enhancing agricultural productivity and farmer income.
- Promoting crop diversification and sustainable farming practices.
- Expanding post-harvest storage and value addition.
- Support women, youth, and allied sectors (e.g., dairy, fisheries, poultry) to diversify income sources.
- Achieve self-sufficiency in foodgrains, pulses and oilseeds to reduce India’s dependence on imports.
- Strengthening irrigation infrastructure and improving access to both long-term and short-term agricultural credit.
District Selection Criteria:
- Districts with yields below national averages (e.g., wheat below 3.5 tonnes/hectare or rice below 2.7 tonnes/hectare).
- Districts with fewer than 1.55 crop cycles per year.
- Districts with limited penetration of bank loans or Kisan Credit Cards, often below 30% of farmers in a district.
- The selection will consider the share of Net Cropped Area and operational holdings in each state/union territory.
- A minimum of one district will be selected from each state to ensure balanced regional development.
- PMDDKY operates under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, each selected district will set up a District Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (DDKY) Samiti, chaired by the District Collector, to implement the District Agriculture Development Plan (DADP).
- Coordination will involve local administrations, agriculture departments, and 100 appointed Central Nodal Officers (mostly joint secretaries) to monitor scheme performance.
- PMDDKY is expected to directly benefit 1.7 crore farmers across India, integrating allied sectors like livestock, dairy, and fisheries.
