Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY)

The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) is a new initiative approved by the Union Cabinet, aimed at addressing disparities in agricultural productivity across different regions of India.

Key Features

• Implemented through the convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 departments.
• Incorporates schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) and PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
• Encourages local partnerships with the private sector.
• Annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore for six years.
• Follows the model of NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Programme.

Objectives

• Address productivity disparities between states and within districts.
• Promote higher productivity and value addition in agriculture and allied sectors.
• Enhance local livelihood creation, increase domestic production, and achieve self-reliance.

Implementation Strategy

• 100 districts will be identified based on:
  • Low productivity and cropping intensity.
  • Lesser credit disbursement.

Challenges and Considerations

• There is a trend of decreasing public spending on agriculture:
  • Decline from 3.53% in 2021-22 to 2.51% in 2025-26 of the total Central Plan outlay.
• Potential risks if public investment continues to decrease.
• Importance of private-public partnerships for self-reliance, especially in the production of food grains, edible oil, and pulses.

Operational Framework

• The scheme will focus on 'District Plans' aligned to national goals such as
  • Crop diversification.
  • Conservation of water and soil health.
  • Self-sufficiency in agriculture and allied sectors.
• Center to monitor 117 key indicators of progress on a monthly basis.
• Involvement of:
  • States and local self-governments.
  • Primary agriculture cooperative societies.
  • Agriculture universities and organizations of farmers and traders.