The Prime Minister has reiterated in his address to the Nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort that India’s farmers are the government’s biggest priority and no compromise will be made on farmers’ interests. Continuously working towards ensuring farmers’ interests, the government has substantially increased the minimum support prices for Kharif crops during the last 11 years by as much as 81% to 226%.
To ensure financial security for farmers, the government has launched Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. An amount of over three lakh ninety thousand crore rupees has been disbursed during the last six years under the scheme. For small and marginal farmers, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojna has a provision for a monthly pension of 3000 rupees. Approximately 25 lakh farmers have been enrolled under the scheme.
To provide easy and affordable access to credit, the loan limit under the Kisan Credit Card Scheme has been enhanced to five lakh rupees. Credit worth 10 lakh crore rupees has been provided so far under the scheme. A few other prominent schemes for farmers and food security include Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Seenchai Yojna, Agriculture infrastructure fund, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendras, National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), among others.
