Parliament Question: Welfare schemes for farmers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 309 ANSWERED ON 20/03/2026 WELFARE SCHEMES FOR FARMERS *309. SHRI C. VE. SHANMUGAM Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE be pleased to state : (a) whether Government provides subsidies and other benefits to farmers; (b) if so, the details thereof including the names of such schemes; (c) the instances of suicides by farmers in the country and the steps taken to address this issue; (d) the details of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) payments made to farmers, including Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN); and (e) the measures taken for welfare of farmers? ANSWER MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN) (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the table of the house.STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (e) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 309 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 20/03/2026 ON “WELFARE SCHEMES FOR FARMERS ” (a), (b) & (e): Government of India is implementing a comprehensive range of Central Sector as well as Centrally Sponsored Schemes and programmes for the development of Agriculture and welfare of farmers in the country. These schemes encompass entire spectrum of agriculture including credit, insurance, income support, infrastructure, crops including horticulture, seeds, mechanization, marketing, organic and natural farming, farmer collectives, irrigation, extension, procurement of crops from farmers at minimum support prices and digital agriculture. The details of schemes providing subsidies and other benefits to farmers implemented by Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is attached as Annexure I. (c): The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs compiles and disseminates information on suicides in its publication titled ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’ (ADSI). The report till 2022 is available on NCRB website (https://ncrb.gov.in). Agriculture is a State Subject. Ex gratia or relief is provided by State Governments as per State provisions & rules. Government of India supports the States through appropriate policy measures and budgetary allocation for schemes for farmer welfare, to increase production, provide remunerative returns and income support. The Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation of DA&FW from Rs. 21,933.50 crore BE during 2013-14 to Rs.1,30,561.38 crore BE during 2026-27. (d): Under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), more than Rs 4.27 lakh crore has been distributed to eligible farmers through 22 installments, till now. Through 22nd installment, an amount of more than Rs 18,645.44 crore has been distributed benefiting over 9.32 crore farmers. Additionally, DBT components are inbuilt in most Centrally Sponsored schemes like Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region, National Mission on Natural Farming etc. & Central Sector schemes like National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission.Annexure I The details of schemes providing subsidies and other benefits to farmers implemented by Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) 1. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) - PM-KISAN is a Central Sector Scheme provides annual financial assistance of Rs. 6,000 to eligible farmer families in three equal instalments, into the Aadhaar seeded bank accounts of farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. 2. Pradhan Mantri Kisan MaanDhan Yojana (PM-KMY) - PMKMY, a central sector scheme, which is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for the entry age group of 18 to 40 years with a provision of Rs. 3000/- monthly pension on attaining the age of 60 years, subject to exclusion criteria. The contribution amount ranges from Rs 55 to Rs 200 per month based on the entry age of the farmer. Government of India also contribute the matching amount for every subscriber for the farmer. 3. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) - PMFBY provides for comprehensive risk insurance against crop damage from pre-sowing to post-harvest for crops and area notified by the concerned State Government. Extremely low premium rate is charged from the famers across the country, which is maximum 2% of sum insured for Kharif crops, maximum 1.5% of sum insured for Rabi crops and maximum 5% of sum insured for commercial/horticultural crops. Remaining part of actuarial premium is shared by the Central and State Government on 50:50 basis except North Eastern States (from Kharif 2020) and Himalayan States (from Kharif 2023) where it is shared in the ratio of 90:10. 4. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) - MISS is a Central Sector Scheme aims to provide concessional interest rates on short-term agricultural loans obtained by farmers through Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) for their working capital requirements. Under this scheme, farmers receive KCC loans at a subsidized interest rate of 7%. To facilitate this, an up front interest subvention (IS) of 1.5% is provided to financial institutions. Additionally, farmers who repay their loans promptly receive a 3% Prompt Repayment Incentive (PRI), effectively reducing the interest rate to 4% per annum. 5. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) – Under AIF scheme, a financing facility of 1 lakh crore is provided through medium to long-term debt financing for investment in viable projects relating to post-harvest management infrastructure and viable farming assets such as warehouses, cold storages, cold chains, grading and sorting units, primary processing centers, pack houses and other supply chain infrastructure. The scheme provides interest subvention of 3% per annum on loans up to ₹2 crore and credit guarantee coverage for loans up to ₹2 crore under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) and NABSanrakshan Trust Fund, thereby facilitating easy access to institutional credit for farmers, Farmer producer organizations (FPOs), cooperatives, agri-entrepreneurs and start-ups 6. Formation & Promotion of new 10,000 FPOs - "Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs)" was launched with a clear strategy and committed resources to form and promote 10,000 new FPOs in the country. FPOs get a financial assistance upto Rs 18.00 lakh per FPO for a period of 03 years. In addition to this, provision has been made for matching equity grant upto Rs. 2,000 per farmer member of FPO with a limit of Rs. 15.00 lakh per FPO and a credit guarantee facility upto Rs. 2 crore of project loan per FPO from eligible lending institution to ensure institutional credit accessibility to FPOs. Suitable provisions have been made for training and skill development of FPOs.7. Agri Fund for Start Ups & Rural Enterprises (AgriSURE) - The objective of the AgriSURE Fund is to support startups associated with the agricultural value chain, thereby fostering innovation and technology within the agricultural sector to accelerate the growth of startups by creating a conducive investment environment and providing capital. Furthermore, it will encourage young entrepreneurs and their innovations. sA Blended capital fund of ₹750 crore with SEBI Registered Category II, Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), contributions from the Government of India is ₹250 crore, NABARD is ₹250 crore, and ₹250 crore is being mobilized from banks, insurance companies, and private investors. 8. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) – Assistance is given on production & productivity improvement of various crops through pollination assisted by adoption of scientific beekeeping and post-harvest management of beekeeping/beehive products including collection, processing, storage, marketing, value addition, etc. with a thrust to develop requisite infrastructural facilities for these activities. 9. Namo Drone Didi - The major objectives of the scheme is to promote advance technology in agriculture for improved efficiency, enhanced crop yield & reduced cost of operation and to empower SHGs as drone service providers for increasing their income and providing livelihood support to them. Under this scheme, Central Financial Assistance (CFA) @ 80% of the cost of drone package up to a maximum of Rs. 8.00 lakhs is provided to the selected women SHGs. 10. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) – To provide remunerative price to the farmers, Government implements PM-AASHA with the components of Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) on the request of State/UT. PSS is implemented for procurement of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of notified pulses, oilseeds and copra at Minimum Support Price (MSP) as and when the market price falls below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). PDPS envisages the payment of price difference between the MSP and Modal/Sale price directly to bank accounts of registered farmers selling/trading their FAQ of notified oilseeds in the APMC through transparent auction process within stipulated period. MIS is implemented for procurement/coverage of perishable agriculture and horticultural crops for which MSP is not announced. 11. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) – The mission has been initiated to strengthen agriculture practices with scientifically backed agro ecological approaches towards sustainability, climate resilience and safe food. Farmers are provided with an easy simple certification system and dedicated common branding to access to market their natural farming produce. Real time geo-tagged & referenced monitoring of NMNF implementation is done through an online portal. Under the Mission output based incentive @ ₹4,000 per acre per farmer for a period of two years is provided. 12. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation namely Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation Systems. The Government provides financial assistance @ 55% for small and marginal farmers and @ 45% for other farmers for installation of Drip and Sprinkler systems under the PDMC. Besides some State Government also provide Top-up subsidy to farmers from their State Budget. The Assistance for installation of Micro Irrigation systems is limited to 5 hectares per beneficiary. 13. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM) - In order to make farm machinery more accessible and affordable to farmers, financial assistance @ 40-50% of the cost of machinery depending on the category of farmers is provided for purchase of agricultural machines. For SC/ST/Small and marginal/North East state/women farmers the financialassistance is @ 50% of the cost of machinery. With a view to make available machines and equipments to farmers on rental basis, financial assistance for establishment of CHCs of the project cost up to Rs. 250 lakhs is provided @ 40% of the project cost and financial assistance for establishments of Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) of the project cost up to Rs. 30 Lakhs is provided @ 80% of the project cost to the FPOs and SHGs. The rate of financial assistance for establishing FMBs in the North Eastern States is @ 95% of the project cost. 14. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) provides end-to-end support to organic farmers i.e. from production to processing, certification and marketing in cluster-based approach. The primary focus of the scheme is to form organic clusters (other than North Eastern States) to help them to create a supply chain. Under PKVY, assistance of Rs. 31,500 per ha is provided over 3 years for promotion of organic farming. Out of this, assistance of Rs. 15,000 per ha is provided to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer for on- farm /off –farm organic inputs. 15. Soil Health & Fertility Scheme was formed to assists states in promoting Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) through judicious use of chemical fertilizers including secondary and micro nutrients, in conjunction with organic manures & bio-fertilizers for improving soil health and its productivity. Awareness on Soil Health Card recommendations among the farmers is generated through farmer trainings, demonstrations and interaction programmes conducted by State Governments. 16. Rainfed Area Development (RAD) focuses on Integrated Farming System (IFS) for enhancing productivity and minimizing risks associated with climatic variability. Central Assistance is released based on the Annual Action Plan approved by State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC). Financial assistance of Rs. 30,000/- is provided to each farming family under RAD component irrespective of the size of their land holding. 17. Agroforestry - The scheme extends 100% financial assistance to Government agencies for implementation, and 50% assistance to private agencies, individual farmers, and entrepreneurs for establishing nurseries and raising saplings to strengthen farmers’ technical capacity, promote adoption of improved agroforestry models and enhance productivity and income of farmers through the use of quality planting material and improved farming practices. 18. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP) – CDP was implemented to divert the area of water guzzling paddy crop to alternative crops like pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals, nutri cereals, etc. Under CDP, assistance is given for alternative crop demonstration, farm mechanization and value addition items, for site specific activities and for awareness, training etc. CDP was extended for replacing tobacco crop in the major tobacco growing states. 19. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) –Under NFSNM, the incentives are provided to the farmers, through the States/UTs, on crop production and protection technologies, cropping system based demonstrations, production & distribution of certified seeds of newly released varieties/hybrids, integrated nutrient and pest management techniques, capacity building of farmers through trainings during cropping season etc. 20. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP) - SMSP covers the entire gamut of seed production chain, from production of nucleus seed to supply of certified seeds to the farmers, to provide support for creation of infrastructure conducive for development of the seed sector, support to the public seed producing organisations for improving their capacity and quality of seed production, create dedicated seed bank to meet unforeseen circumstances of natural calamities, etc.21. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Seeds – Under NMEO-OS, free seeds are distributed to farmers up to one hectare per farmer and training conducted under the Value Chain Cluster (VCC). Demonstrations also being conducted for newly released varieties and technologies to improve the productivity. Support is also provided for the establishment of oil mills to ensure remunerative prices to oilseed farmers. 22. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm - The Mission provides comprehensive support to farmers, including assistance for high-quality planting material, inputs for intercropping, and maintenance during the four-year gestation period, as well as replanting of old and unproductive plantations. Additional inputs such as farm machinery and irrigation facilities are also supported. To safeguard farmers against price volatility and ensure assured returns, the Government has introduced Viability Gap Payment (VGP) mechanisms, which compensates farmers for adverse price shocks. 23. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) –Under MIDH, assistance is provided for activities related to production and productivity improvement of horticulture crops including mango through various interventions. Assistance is also provided for activities such as production of planting material, vegetable seed production, coverage of area with improved cultivars, rejuvenation of senile orchards, protected cultivation, creation of water resources, adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), organic farming, including in-situ generation of organic inputs are taken up for development of fruits and vegetables. Capacity buildings of farmers and technicians are also provided for adopting improved technologies. Scheme also envisages creation of post-harvest management (PHM) and marketing for better price realization of produce. 24. National Bamboo Mission (NBM) - NBM mainly focus on the development of complete value chain of the bamboo sector. It is envisaged to link growers with consumers with a cluster approach mode. Assistance under NBM is being provided to farmers, artisans, entrepreneurs for establishment of Bamboo Nursery, Bamboo Plantation and value chain units such as primary processing, product management and market infrastructure. 25. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM) - ISAM supports state governments in governing the agricultural produce marketing through creation and improvement of market structures, capacity building and generating access to market information. Under Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI), the subsidy @ 33.33% for NER, hilly area, Women/SC/ST promoters, PACS & FPOs etc. and @25% for others is available. 26. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) - Under MOVCDNER, assistance of Rs. 46,500/ha is provided over 3 years for creation of Farmers Producer Organization, support to farmers for organic inputs etc. Out of this, assistance @ Rs. 32,500/ ha is provided to farmers for off -farm /on –farm organic inputs under the scheme including Rs. 15,000 as Direct Benefit Transfer to the farmers. 27. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE) - The Scheme support State Governments efforts of revitalization of their extension system and making available the latest agricultural technologies and good agricultural practices to farmers to increase agricultural production through various extension activities viz. Farmers Training, Demonstrations, Exposure Visits, Kisan Mela, Mobilization of Farmers Groups and Setting up of Farm Schools.28. Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) - Digital Agricultural Mission has envisaged the making of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) such as Agristack, Agricultural Decision Support System (Agricultural DSS) and a profile of land fertility to create a strong digital agricultural ecosystem in the country. With this, farmer-centric new digital solutions will be promoted and all farmers will be able to get timely and reliable crop-related information. ‘Bharat-VISTAAR’(Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) is a multilingual AI tool to integrate the AgriStack portals and the ICAR package on agricultural practices with AI systems for enhancing farm productivity and better farmer decision making and reduce risk through customized advisory support for the farmer 29. Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) - The scheme targets 100 districts with lowest agricultural productivity by adopting crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices in convergence with 36 central schemes of 11 departments, State schemes and private partnerships with the target of improving productivity in DDKY districts. 30. Mission for Atmanirbharta in Pulses – To achieve self-sufficiency in pulses, the Government of India has launched the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, aimed at strengthening domestic production and reducing dependence on imports while ensuring nutritional security. With a financial outlay of ₹11,440 crore over a six-year period, the mission places special emphasis on the promotion of Tur (Arhar), Urad and Masoor.