Executive Summary:
This document outlines the Indian government's schemes and programs aimed at providing financial and infrastructural support to farmers, including women, as of August 5, 2025. It details various initiatives such as the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM), Namo Drone Didi scheme, and PM-KISAN, along with training and awareness programs. The document also includes state-wise data on women beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN scheme as of June 30, 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
Financial and Infrastructural Support Schemes:
* **Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF):** Provides medium to long-term credit at subsidized rates to farmers, including women, for post-harvest management facilities and other essential farming assets, with a 3% interest subvention on loans up to ₹2 crore for up to seven years.
* **Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM):** Implements the Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) scheme, offering a back-ended subsidy of 33.33% to women, SC/ST promoters, FPOs, NER, and hilly areas, and 25% for plain areas.
* **Namo Drone Didi Scheme:** Aims to provide drones to 15,000 selected women Self Help Groups (SHGs) for rental services to farmers for agriculture purposes with an outlay of ₹1261 crores.
* **Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH):** Provides assistance for the development of Post-Harvest Management (PHM) infrastructure for perishable horticulture crops.
* **National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM):** Promotes scientific beekeeping for income and employment generation, with a focus on women empowerment, infrastructural facilities, and market support.
* **Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS):** Provides Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans at a subsidized interest rate of 7% per annum, effectively reducing the rate to 4% for timely repayments on loans up to ₹3 lakh.
PM-KISAN Scheme:
* Provides ₹6000 per year in three installments directly to the bank accounts of landholding farmer families, including women, subject to certain exclusion criteria.
* State-wise details of women beneficiaries as of June 30, 2025, are provided in the annexure.
Training and Awareness:
* Training is imparted to farmers, including women, under various centrally sponsored and central sector schemes.
* The ATMA scheme operates in 740 districts, providing training to women in agriculture and allied sectors.
* ICAR through CIWA and KVKs conducts need-based training programs.
* Information is disseminated through electronic, print, and social media, workshops, seminars, and exhibitions.
Impact Analysis:
Farmers (Including Women Farmers):
* Impact: Access to financial assistance, infrastructural support, training, and awareness programs to improve agricultural practices and income.
* Action Required: Understand the eligibility criteria and conditions for each scheme to apply and benefit from the available support.
Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs):
* Impact: Opportunity to own and operate drones for providing rental services to farmers, enhancing income and agricultural productivity.
* Action Required: Participate in the Namo Drone Didi scheme and undergo necessary training to operate and maintain drones.
Financial Institutions (Banks):
* Impact: Providing subsidized loans under schemes like MISS and AIF, contributing to the growth of the agricultural sector.
* Action Required: Implement the guidelines of the MISS scheme, provide KCC loans at subsidized rates, and create awareness through IEC campaigns.
State and Central Governments:
* Impact: Implementing and monitoring the various schemes, ensuring effective reach and utilization of funds.
* Action Required: Disseminate information about the schemes, conduct training programs, and monitor the progress of implementation at the district level.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The Indian government ministry responsible for agriculture and farmers' welfare.
PM-KISAN: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a Central Sector Scheme to provide income support to all landholding farmers' families across the country.
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund AIF: A Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare designed to drive innovation and boost infrastructure across the agriculture value chain.
Atmanirbhar Bharat Initiative: An initiative by the Government of India focused on making the country self-reliant.
Namo Drone Didi: A Central Sector Scheme for providing drones to the women Self Help Groups SHGs for providing rental services to farmers for agriculture purpose application of fertilizers and pesticides.
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture MIDH: A centrally sponsored scheme under which assistance is available for farmers including women farmers for development of PostHarvest Management PHM for perishable horticulture crops.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission DAY-NRLM: A flagship poverty alleviation programme implemented exclusively through women.
Odisha: A state in eastern India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2742
TO BE ANSWERED ON 5th AUGUST, 2025
SUPPORT FOR WOMEN FARMERS
2742. Dr. Gumma Thanuja Rani:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has implemented any schemes for providing financial and
infrastructural support to women farmers, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(b) whether the Government has any data on number of women beneficiaries under PM-KISAN
scheme, State-wise; and
(c) the steps taken to impart training and awareness about various central schemes in agricultural
sector?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER of State for AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAM NATH THAKUR)
(a ) : The Government is implementing schemes and programmes for the farmers including women
farmers for providing financial and infrastructural support, as per the eligibility and conditions existing
in the scheme guidelines.
The brief details of the schemes for providing infrastructural and financial support to the farmers
including women farmers are as under:
i. The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) was launched in 2020 as part of the Atmanirbhar
Bharat Initiative, is a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
welfare designed to drive innovation and boost infrastructure across the agriculture value
chain. This initiative aims to empower farmers including women farmers and boost their
incomes by offering medium-to long-term credit at subsidized rates, AIF supports the
creation of post-harvest management facilities and other essential farming assets. Under
the AIF, loans are offered for infrastructure projects at farm- gate and aggregation points.
Additionally, the scheme benefits borrowers from an interest subvention of 3% per annum
on loans up to ₹2 crore for a duration up to seven years.
ii. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under the Integrated Scheme for
Agriculture Marketing (ISAM) is implementing the Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure
(AMI) scheme, This scheme is a capital investment, open ended, demand driven and credit
linked implemented wherein back ended subsidy of 33.33% is available to women, SC/ST
promoters, Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs), NER and hilly areas and subsidy of
25% for plain areas.
iii. The Central Sector Scheme ‘Namo Drone Didi’ for providing drones to the women Self
Help Groups (SHGs) with an outlay of Rs.1261 crores has been approved. The scheme
aims to provide drones to 15000 selected women SHGs for providing rental services to
farmers for agriculture purpose (application of fertilizers and pesticides).iv. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH),a centrally sponsored scheme
under which assistance is available for farmers including women farmers for development
of Post-Harvest Management (PHM) for perishable horticulture crops which includes
establishment of Pack House, Integrated Pack House, Pre-Cooling, Staging Cold Room,
Cold Storages, Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Storage, Reefer Transport, Primary/Mobile
Processing units, setting up of Ripening Chambers and Integrated Cold Chain Supply
System etc.
v. The Central Sector Scheme namely National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) is
being implemented for promoting scientific beekeeping for holistic growth of beekeeping
industry for income & employment generation, providing livelihood support to farm and
nonfarm households including women farmers, to enhance agriculture / horticulture
production. Under the scheme thrust is given on awareness, capacity building/ trainings,
focus on women empowerment through beekeeping, setting up of requisite infrastructural
facilities, viz.; Integrated Beekeeping Development Centres (IBDCs), Honeybees Disease
Diagnostic Labs, Setting/ upgradation of Honey Testing labs, Beekeeping Equipment
Manufacturing Units, Custom Hiring Centres, Api-therapy Centres, Development of Quality
Nucleus Stock Centres, Bee Breeders, Processing, Value-Addition, Market Support, etc.
and Research & Technology generation.
vi. Under Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS), a 100% centrally funded scheme
under which, Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans are provided at a subsidized interest rate of
7% per annum, with 1.5% Interest Subvention (IS) to financial institutions and an
additional 3% Prompt Repayment Incentive (PRI) for timely repayment, reducing the
effective rate to 4% for loans up to ₹3 lakh. For allied activities, the limit is ₹2 lakh. To
enhance access, including for women farmers, awareness is being created through IEC
campaigns by banks, State/Central Governments, RBI, NABARD, etc., and through
digital platforms like the Kisan Rin Portal. The collateral-free credit limit has also been
enhanced from ₹1.6 lakh to ₹2 lakh w.e.f. 1st January 2025.
vii. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) is a
flagship poverty alleviation programme implemented exclusively through women. During
FY 2022–23 to 2024–25, 2.58 crore women farmers were trained in agro-ecological and
livestock management practices, and 2.50 lakh Krishi/Pashu Sakhis were trained as
community resource persons. Additionally, 503 Krishi Sakhis were trained as Drone
Sakhis, 70,021 Self Help Group (SHG) women were trained in Natural Farming, and 800
women-owned producer companies were promoted under the Farmers Producer
Organisation (FPO) Scheme. The Department of Animal Husbandry has trained and
recognized 7,294 Pashu Sakhis as A-HELP (Livestock Resource Persons).
(b): The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a Central Sector Scheme, being
implemented w.e.f. 1st December, 2018. The Scheme aims at providing financial assistance to
all landholding farmers’ families including women farmers across the country, subject to certain
exclusion criteria, to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied
activities as well as domestic needs. Under the Scheme, an amount of Rs. 6000/- per year is
transferred in three 4- monthly instalments of Rs.2000/- directly into the bank accounts of the
farmers. The State-wise details of women beneficiaries benefitted by 19th Instalment under PM-
KISAN (as on 30.06.2025) is at Annexure.(c): Trainings are imparted to farmers, including women farmers, under various Centrally
Sponsored and Central Sector Schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, as per
the eligibility criteria laid down in the scheme guidelines. The ATMA Scheme, currently
operational in 740 districts across 28 States and 5 UTs, provides training to women in agriculture
and allied sectors. In addition, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) through the
Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (CIWA), Bhubaneswar, and Krishi Vigyan Kendras
(KVKs) also conducts need-based training programmes for farmers. Information on schemes is
disseminated through electronic, print, and social media, as well as through events such as
workshops, seminars, and exhibitions. As part of awareness initiatives, the Government
organized the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan from 29th May to 12th June 2025, wherein
1,35,42,105 farmers, including 39,72,412 women farmers, participated.Annexure
The State-wise details of women farmers beneficiaries benefitted during 19th Instalment under PM-
KISAN (as on 30.06.2025)
Women Farmers
Amount
SI. No. State No. of
transferred in
Beneficiaries
Cr.
1. ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS 4,976 1.20
2. ANDHRA PRADESH 14,31,344 307.24
3. ARUNACHAL PRADESH 50,157 11.83
4. ASSAM 5,06,271 120.45
5. BIHAR 23,45,600 493.48
6. CHHATTISGARH 5,09,072 125.53
7. DELHI 1,921 0.45
8. GOA 888 0.19
9. GUJARAT 14,59,891 343.77
10. HARYANA 2,77,043 65.01
11. HIMACHAL PRADESH 1,45,266 37.08
12. JAMMU AND KASHMIR 93,163 22.90
13. JHARKHAND 6,66,699 266.56
14. KARNATAKA 10,48,919 220.19
15. KERALA 12,78,723 290.32
16. LADAKH 3,001 0.64
17. LAKSHADWEEP 1,153 0.25
18. MADHYA PRADESH 17,65,105 384.11
19. MAHARASHTRA 18,45,539 409.09
20. MANIPUR 98,871 80.59
21. MEGHALAYA 1,34,593 32.85
22. MIZORAM 55,441 22.79
23. NAGALAND 1,03,468 28.07
24. ODISHA 8,76,974 255.95
25. PUDUCHERRY 2,963 0.62
26. PUNJAB 10,787 2.66
27. RAJASTHAN 24,18,281 597.28
28. SIKKIM 8,303 2.09
29. TAMIL NADU 5,07,939 112.43
30. TELANGANA 8,82,338 186.08
31. DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI AND DAMAN AND DIU 2,731 0.60
32. TRIPURA 54,819 12.28
33. UTTAR PRADESH 46,34,478 1,199.72
34. UTTARAKHAND 1,43,662 33.07
35. WEST BENGAL 8,35,460 181.54
Grand Total 2,42,05,839 5,848.90