In the past four years, the Government launched five major schemes, as mentioned below, which have successfully improved the income of farmers. As part of the "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav," ICAR released a book containing success stories of 75,000 farmers whose incomes have more than doubled. The Government has implemented a comprehensive range of central sector and centrally sponsored schemes to support agriculture and benefit small and marginal farmers. However, there are no immediate plans for a distinct policy for smaller farmers.
5 Major Schemes Government Introduced In The Last Four Years
1. The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme has been implemented to offer income support to all farmers' families who own land throughout the country. The objective is to assist them in covering expenses related to agricultural and allied activities and their domestic needs. The scheme came into effect on December 1, 2018, and it aims to provide an annual payment of Rs. 6000 to eligible farmers with cultivable land, with some exceptions. This financial benefit is disbursed by the Central Government in three 4-monthly installments of Rs. 2000 each, directly into the bank accounts of eligible farmers using the Direct Benefit Transfer mode.
2. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
To bridge the current infrastructure deficiencies and attract investments in agricultural infrastructure, the government introduced the Rs 1 lakh crore Agri Infra Fund as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan initiative. The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund serves as a medium to long-term debt financing facility, supporting feasible projects related to post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets. It offers interest subvention and credit guarantee assistance to encourage investments in these areas.
3. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)
In 2020, the Government of India initiated the Central Sector Scheme (CSS) to establish and promote 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). The creation and promotion of these FPOs are carried out through Implementing Agencies (IAs), which collaborate with Cluster-Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) to facilitate the formation and offer professional guidance to the FPOs for a period of five years. This assistance includes the preparation and execution of business plans for the FPOs, ensuring improved marketing opportunities and sustainable market linkages.
4. National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM)
Recognizing the significance of beekeeping, the government introduced a fresh Central Sector Scheme known as the National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) in 2020 as part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The primary objective of this scheme is to promote and advance scientific beekeeping and work towards the realization of the "Sweet Revolution" by fostering overall growth and development in the field.
5. National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)
The Government of India has introduced a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme called the National Mission on Edible Oil (NMEO)-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) with the aim of promoting oil palm cultivation to achieve self-reliance in edible oils, with a particular focus on the North-Eastern States and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The mission's objective is to expand the cultivation of Oil Palm by an additional 6.5 lakh hectares, with 3.28 lakh hectares in the North-Eastern states and 3.22 lakh hectares in the rest of India over the next five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
