In News:

Announced in Union Budget 2025, the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDKY) aims to boost agricultural productivity, sustainability, and rural income in India’s lagging agricultural regions.

Inspired by the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), PMDKY targets 100 districts marked by low productivity, moderate cropping intensity, and limited credit access, benefiting approximately 1.7 crore farmers.

Key Highlights:

Objectives:

• Enhancing Agricultural Productivity:Promote scientific techniques and modern farming to improve crop yield and land use efficiency.
• Crop Diversification & Sustainable Practices:Encourage climate-resilient and eco-friendly farming methods, reducing dependence on water-intensive crops.
• Post-Harvest Infrastructure Development:Establish storage and agro-processing units at panchayat and block levels to reduce post-harvest losses (currently ~35-40%).
• Improving Irrigation Efficiency:Support micro-irrigation techniques like drip and sprinkler systems to raise water-use efficiency from the current 38%.
• Expanding Agricultural Credit:Facilitate short- and long-term institutional credit, especially through the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and agri-fintech models.

Implementation Framework:

• Targeted District Identification:Based on cropping intensity, productivity, and credit penetration, using data from the Ministry of Agriculture, NABARD, and Department of Financial Services.
• Integrated Funding Approach:Leverages existing schemes like RKVY, PMKSY, NFSM, and SMAM through convergence for efficient fund utilization.
• Institutional Mechanism:Multi-tier coordination involving the Centre, States, and District-level authorities for implementation and real-time performance tracking.
• Technology Integration:GIS mapping, AI advisories, blockchain for supply chain transparency, and sensor-based monitoring for precision agriculture.
• Farmer Empowerment:Strengthening Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to support knowledge dissemination, skill development, and market access.

Strategic Significance of PMDKY:

• Bridging Regional Disparities:Targets structurally weak districts to ensure balanced regional growth in agriculture.
• Food and Water Security:Supports climate-resilient farming amid rising rainfall variability (+15–20% by 2050) and increasing water scarcity (55% of agriculture is rainfed).
• Boosting Rural Incomes:Aimed at transforming smallholder agriculture, as ~80% of Indian farmers are marginal with an average income of ?1.2 lakh annually.
• Reducing Post-Harvest Losses:Addresses infrastructural bottlenecks causing 35–40% losses, especially in perishables like fruits and vegetables.