Cabinet clears PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana to develop 100 agri districts; annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the ‘Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana’ for a period of six years beginning 2025-26 to fast track development in agriculture and allied sectors across 100 districts.

Announcing the decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the scheme, announced in the Budget 2025-26, draws upon the success of the Aspirational Districts Programme and seeks to ensure convergence of 36 schemes of 11 ministries to improve agricultural productivity, crop diversification, irrigation, and credit availability in the identified districts.

Under the scheme, 100 districts will be identified based on low productivity, low cropping intensity, and lesser credit disbursement.

At least one district from every state will be selected based on parameters of low productivity, moderate crop density, and below-average credit access.

The number of districts per state or UT will be based on their share of net cropped area and operational holdings.

The scheme will be implemented through the convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 departments, along with state schemes and partnerships with the private sector.

The scheme is expected to benefit 1.7 crore farmers across the country.

Under the programme, each district will prepare a District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan through the DDKY Samiti headed by the District Collector after extensive consultations and assessments of cropping patterns and allied activities suited to the local agro-climatic conditions.

Committees will be set up at district, state, and national levels for effective implementation while Central Nodal Officers will be appointed for field visits, reviews, and monitoring.

The progress of each district will be monitored monthly against 117 key performance indicators through a dedicated dashboard. NITI Aayog will provide overall guidance and capacity building, and each district will be assigned a Central or State Agriculture University as its technical knowledge partner.

The government expects that improvement in these 100 districts will raise national averages for key indicators, leading to higher productivity, value addition, local livelihood creation, and greater self-reliance in agriculture and allied sectors.