agriculture | DD News

August 12, 2025 2:54 PM

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: Huge push to India’s agri infra

In the heart of Kidigam in Gajapati District of Odisha, the “Sri Maa Majji Gouri” Cashew Industry stands as a powerful visionary entrepreneurship. Established in 2022, this enterprise was born out of a bold vision—to create a primary cashew processing unit that would generate local employment and provide market stability to farmers. With a total project cost of ₹57 lakh, the promoters secured a loan of ₹42.75 lakh from UCO Bank at a highly subsidised interest rate of 5.5% per annum, ...

August 12, 2025 11:03 AM

PMFBY: A safety net for farmers, 78.41 crore applications insured since 2016

Farmers all across India are benefiting from the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). PMFBY is not insurance; it acts as a safety net for them when the forces of nature don’t support the farmers’ efforts. Every season, droughts, floods, pests, or storms destroy months of effort in just a few hours. That’s exactly what happened to Shri Lal Krishnesh, a farmer from Kerala. In 2022, heavy rains ruined his entire crop, leaving him heartbroken. But he had made a smart decision; he chose ...

August 8, 2025 1:56 PM

India leading global millet production, new revolution catches pace

Guddu Dongare, a farmer from Betul district in Madhya Pradesh, is inspiring a quiet revolution — one millet seed at a time. Once faced with an unproductive patch of fallow land, Guddu’s fortune took a turn after he attended a farmer field school organised by the local agriculture department. It was here that he first heard about millets. He learnt that millets can withstand changing weather conditions, need fewer inputs, grow in a shorter period, and adapt well to nearly all types of soils....

August 8, 2025 1:46 PM

Huge push to agri-sector under PMKSY, ₹1,920 cr additional budget approved

The Union Cabinet has approved a total outlay of ₹6,520 crore for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) to support the farmers and strengthen farm-to-market infrastructure in India. This budget also includes an additional ₹1,920 crore. Transformative Outcomes Under PMKSY Since its launch, a total of 1,601 projects have been approved under various components of the PMKSY as of June 2025. Out of these, 1,133 projects are now operational/completed, creating a processing and preservat...

July 16, 2025 4:04 PM

Cabinet approves PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana to boost agricultural productivity

In a step to transform India’s agricultural landscape, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana” for a period of six years starting from the financial year 2025–26. The scheme, which was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, aims to uplift 100 districts with low agricultural productivity, low cropping intensity, and limited credit access. Drawing inspiration from NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programm...

July 13, 2025 4:16 PM

Centre asks states to crack down on fake, substandard fertilizers

In a move to protect farmers and ensure the integrity of agricultural inputs, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written to the Chief Ministers of all States and Union Territories, calling for immediate and strict action against the sale of fake and substandard fertilizers. The directive aims to curb the black marketing of subsidized fertilizers, the circulation of counterfeit products, and illegal practices such as forced tagging of nano or bio-stimulan...

June 9, 2025 11:44 PM

Northeast charts 11-year journey of human-centric development

Northeast India has emerged as a model of inclusive and sustainable development over the past 11 years, with remarkable progress in agriculture, healthcare, literacy, and social empowerment. Between 2014 and 2025, targeted government schemes and grassroots participation have helped bridge the development gap between the Northeast and the rest of the country. Sikkim led the charge by becoming the world’s first 100% organic state. Building on its success, the central government launched the Mis...

June 7, 2025 3:29 PM

From innovation to inclusion: Empowering rural India through agriculture

India’s agricultural landscape has undergone a historic transformation over the past decade. As the sector becomes more resilient and productive, the focus under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moved beyond traditional methods to a broader vision—market access, diversification, climate-smart farming, and inclusive rural empowerment. Infrastructure driving change At the heart of this transformation is robust infrastructure development. The ₹1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund is...

June 7, 2025 3:25 PM

Seeds of change: India’s agricultural evolution under PM Modi

Agriculture has long been the soul of India’s economy and society. Over the past eleven years, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India’s agricultural landscape has been redefined by a holistic, inclusive, and tech-driven approach that is embodied in the principle of Beej Se Bazaar Tak, or Seed to Market. This transformation puts the farmer at the center of policy-making, with a focus on income security, smart farming, traditional wisdom, and global competitiveness. Rising i...

May 30, 2025 1:44 PM

India working towards becoming food bank of the world: Shivraj Singh

India is working towards becoming the "food bank of the world" under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday. He was speaking at the launch of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) in Bhubaneswar. The nationwide campaign, launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), will run f...