MoS Agriculture Kailash Choudhary: Modi govt has doubled Agriculture budget

Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State for Agriculture, on December 11, said in the Parliament that the Narendra Modi government has doubled the agriculture budget in its first tenure with an aim to double the farmers' income in New Delhi.

"The agriculture budget during the UPA tenure from 2009-2014 was Rs 1.21 lakh crore whereas the Modi government had increased it to Rs 2.11 lakh crore," the minister said in reply to Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde’s question on Tuesday, December 11, about the roadmap of the government on doubling the farmers' income. 

The minister stated that the government is committed to the overall development of the agriculture sector and the doubling of the farmers' income. "The government has made a budget allocation of Rs 1.38 lakh crore for the farmers in the last year," he said. 
Choudhary also said that the agriculture ministry is working to implement the government's agenda related to the farmers while answering another MP’s question.

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The pathway the government is going to take to double farmers’ income by 2022 was explained by the minister. He said that the agriculture ministry is working on schemes like PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, organic farming and zero budget natural farming, agriculture market reforms, Kisan Credit Card, National Food Security Mission and contract farming. The minister also said that they will be investing in the agricultural sector infrastructure.

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Here are some important government schemes in the Agriculture sector you need to know about - 

• E-NAM - provides e-marketing platform
• National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) - Aims at promoting Sustainable Agriculture through climate change adaptation measures.
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) - ‘Har Khet Ko Paani’ to provide end-to-end solutions in the irrigation supply chain.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) - The farmer has to pay a maximum premium of 2 per cent for Kharif, 1.5 per cent for Rabi food & oilseed crops and 5 per cent for annual commercial crops and remaining part of the bidded premium is shared equally by Centre and State Government. It’s objective is to facilitate prompt claims settlement.
• Gramin Bhandaran Yojna
• Livestock insurance Scheme
• Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF)
• Scheme on Fisheries Training and Extension
• Soil Health Card Scheme - Soil Health Cards provide information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil 
• Neem Coated Urea (NCU) - To regulate the use of urea. Reduces the cost of cultivation and improves soil health management.
• Rainfed Area Development Programme (RADP)
• National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA)

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(with inputs from agencies)