Key Highlights
- Seven flagship programmes approved on 2 September 2024, targeting farmer welfare and income growth.
- Total financial commitment amounts to ₹13,966 crore.
- Digital Agriculture Mission introduces a nationwide agri‑data backbone, AI‑driven decision tools, and market linkages.
- Crop Science scheme prioritises climate‑resilient varieties, genetic preservation, and pest‑beneficial organism research.
- Education, livestock, horticulture, extension, and natural‑resource modules aim to modernise curricula, boost animal productivity, diversify cropping, and safeguard ecosystems.
Detailed Insights
The cabinet, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sanctioned a suite of schemes designed to overhaul India’s agricultural ecosystem. The Digital Agriculture Mission (₹2,817 crore) will erect a comprehensive digital public infrastructure encompassing a Farmers Registry, Village Land Maps, and Crop‑Sown Registry. Coupled with a Krishi Decision Support System, it will exploit satellite‑derived geospatial layers, real‑time drought/flood alerts, precise weather forecasts, and groundwater analytics to feed AI‑based yield and insurance models.
With an allocation of ₹3,979 crore, the Crop Science for Food and Nutritional Security programme seeks to future‑proof Indian agriculture against climate volatility by advancing plant‑genetic resource conservation, breeding high‑yielding food, fodder, pulse, and oilseed varieties, and investigating symbiotic insects, microbes, and pollinators.
Investing ₹2,291 crore, the Strengthening Agricultural Education, Management, and Social Sciences initiative aligns agri‑education with the NEP‑2020, embedding interdisciplinary curricula, digital DPI, remote sensing, and natural‑farming practices to produce a workforce adept at tackling contemporary agronomic challenges.
The Sustainable Livestock Health and Production scheme (₹1,702 crore) concentrates on veterinary education, dairy technology, genetic improvement of livestock, and nutrition for small ruminants, thereby elevating farm‑gate returns.
Through a ₹860 crore outlay, the Sustainable Development of Horticulture programme diversifies farmer incomes by promoting climate‑adapted tropical, subtropical, and temperate horticultural crops, as well as high‑value vegetables, floriculture, mushrooms, spices, medicinal and aromatic plants.
Capacity building of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (₹1,202 crore) and the Natural Resource Management plan (₹1,115 crore) round out the package, ensuring effective extension services and the long‑term stewardship of soil, water, and biodiversity.