Agriculture as the Main Growth Driver for the Economy

Speaking for the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman focused all her words on agriculture as an area of a very high value growth driver for the economy. She thereafter proposed a series of proposals on food security, credit access to farmers, employment generation, and availability of technology.

PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana : Support Package for Laggard Districts

The Government launched PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, mainly in 100 laggard districts where the agriculture productivity is not up to the mark. The scheme has ensured that:

  • 1.7 crores of the farmers of the villages will be benefitted.
  • Storage facilities, along with irrigation, credit access, and promotion of sustainable farming by the central as well as the state governments.
  • Crop reserves will increase at panchayat as well as at block levels.
  • Migration due to unemployment will be controlled and this will help in the economy of the village too.

Raised Kisan Credit Card Limit

Government has raised the limit under Kisan Credit Card scheme from ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh so that easy low-interest credit is made available to farmers in order to make investment in agriculture. This would help 7.7 crore farmers of the agriculture, fishery, and animal husbandry sectors in the purchase of machinery and reduction in costs.

Self-Sufficiency Mission for Pulses

The government has announced a mission for the self-reliance of the country in edible oil and pulses.

National Mission on Edible Oilseed

This would be focused on boosting home oil production. A six-year Self-Reliant Pulses Mission that would focus on yams, pulses, and lentils

Pulses central agencies will go for direct procurement with pre-agreed contracts with farmers.

New Makhana Board in Bihar

To make further production, processing, and marketing of makhana, Makhana Board would be installed in Bihar. It would also:

  • Train the farmers
  • Extend wide coverage about the government's schemes
  • Increased export and will sell makhana to best.

New Scheme for Fruits, Vegetables and Cotton

The budget prides itself by claiming many things done to strengthen agricultural productivity

  • National mission for high yield varieties of fruits and vegetables
  • Over 100 of high yielding crop varieties shall release in July 2025.
  • Special national mission to enhance the productivity of cotton
  • New urea production plants would be erected so that fertilizer self-sufficiency could be achieved

High -level Allocations to Agriculture

While unveiling the budget, Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned:

  • The PM Kisan Scheme has been granted a budgetary allocation of ₹63,500 crores.
  • Investment credit, loans and new crop varieties will be sanctioned by the government.
  • The banks will offer more credit facilities to small and marginal farmers.

This will help Union Budget 2025, especially as it hails development through India's farm sector, mainly financially, along with technological upliftment and developments that would long-lastly prove rural prosperity for its countrymen.