Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled two major schemes for India’s agriculture sector with a combined outlay of Rs 35.44 billion, including a new Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses to reduce import dependence and strengthen food security.

The launch coincided with the birth anniversary of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan and also saw the inauguration of projects worth Rs 5.45 billion in agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing. In addition, the Prime Minister laid the foundation for projects totalling Rs 815 million.

Pulses Self-Reliance Mission

The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, with an outlay of Rs 11.44 billion, seeks to raise pulses production from the current 25.2 million tonnes to 35 million tonnes by the 2030–31 crop year, substantially reducing India’s reliance on imports.

Revamping Agri Districts

The Rs 24 billion Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana aims to transform 100 low-performing agricultural districts by improving productivity, promoting crop diversification, strengthening irrigation and storage, and expanding credit access.

Both schemes, already cleared by the Union Cabinet, will be implemented from the upcoming rabi (winter) season through to 2030–31.

Key Projects and Achievements

Among the newly inaugurated projects are artificial insemination training centres in Bengaluru and Jammu and Kashmir, centres of excellence in Amreli and Banas, and an IVF laboratory in Assam under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission. Additionally, milk powder plants have been inaugurated in Mehsana, Indore, and Bhilwara, alongside a fish feed plant in Tezpur under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

During the event, Modi distributed certificates to farmers certified under the National Mission for Natural Farming, MAITRI technicians, and Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Societies (PACS) upgraded into Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSKs) and Common Service Centres (CSCs).

The Prime Minister also highlighted achievements such as 50 lakh farmer memberships in 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), of which 1,100 FPOs achieved an annual turnover exceeding Rs 100 million in 2024–25.

Other milestones include the certification of 50,000 farmers under the National Mission for Natural Farming, 38,000 MAITRIs trained across rural India, and the operationalisation of over 10,000 multipurpose and e-PACS to support digitalisation and cooperative development.

Modi also interacted with pulses farmers who have benefitted from government schemes fostering a value chain-based approach in agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries.

The event was attended by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, and Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary.