PM to Launch Major Farmer Welfare Schemes on Oct 11: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

In a significant announcement ahead of the Rabi sowing season, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, addressed a press conference in New Delhi today, unveiling the details of several historic agricultural initiatives to be launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 11, 2025. The initiatives aim to enhance agricultural productivity, boost farmers’ income, and promote food and nutritional security across India.

The launch, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, will mark a new chapter in India’s farm and rural development journey, aligning with the government’s broader vision of “Viksit Bharat @2047” — a developed, self-reliant, and globally competitive India.

India’s Agriculture on Path to Global Leadership

At the press conference, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasized that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India’s agriculture sector has emerged as a pillar of economic resilience, achieving record production levels and driving rural prosperity.

He noted that since 2014, India has witnessed a 40% rise in food grain production, with bumper yields in wheat, rice, maize, groundnut, and soybean. “Today, India is completely self-reliant in wheat and rice and has exported over 4 crore tonnes of agricultural produce,” he said, highlighting the nation’s transformation from a food-deficit economy to a food-surplus powerhouse.

However, the Minister acknowledged that pulses remain a key area of focus. “India is both the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world, yet we continue to import them. This dependency must end. We are determined to make India self-reliant in pulses production,” he asserted.

Pulse Self-Reliance Mission: A Landmark Initiative

Announcing the Pulse Self-Reliance Mission, Shri Chouhan outlined a comprehensive strategy to bridge the production gap and reduce imports. The mission aims to expand the area under pulse cultivation from 27.5 million hectares to 31 million hectares by 2030–31, while increasing total production from 24.2 million tonnes to 35 million tonnes.

To achieve this, the government plans to enhance productivity from 880 kg per hectare to 1,130 kg per hectare through improved seeds, technology, and support systems.

Key features of the Pulse Self-Reliance Mission include:

• Distribution of 1.26 crore quintals of certified seeds across major pulse-growing states.

• Provision of 88 lakh free seed mini-kits to small and marginal farmers.

• Development of high-yielding, pest-resistant, and climate-resilient pulse varieties through extensive R&D under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

• Establishment of 1,000 processing units in pulse-growing regions to facilitate local value addition and better price realization. Each unit will receive a ₹25 lakh government subsidy.

“These measures will not only improve productivity but also create thousands of rural jobs, strengthen agro-processing clusters, and make pulses cultivation profitable and sustainable,” the Minister said.

PM Dhan-Dhaanya Yojana: Focusing on Low-Productivity Districts

Another major announcement made by Shri Chouhan was the upcoming launch of the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Yojana, which seeks to reduce regional disparities in agricultural productivity. Under this initiative, 100 low-productivity districts across India will be identified based on crop yield data and agri-resource mapping.

“Even within states, productivity levels vary widely. By focusing on districts with the lowest yields and bringing them up to the national average, we can substantially increase national output and secure food sufficiency,” he said.

The Yojana will be implemented under the “Aspirational Districts Model”, with monitoring by NITI Aayog through a real-time performance dashboard.

Key interventions will include:

• Improving irrigation coverage and efficiency.

• Strengthening warehouse and cold storage infrastructure.

• Expanding institutional credit access through cooperative and regional banks.

• Promoting crop diversification and value-chain integration.

• Encouraging the adoption of precision farming technologies.

“This is not just a productivity improvement mission; it is a mission for rural transformation, ensuring every farmer has equal opportunity to prosper,” Shri Chouhan said.

“One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team”

Reaffirming the government’s collaborative approach, Shri Chouhan emphasized the need for synergy among the Centre, States, research bodies, and the private sector under the vision of “One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team.”

He said that under the new framework, agriculture machinery and infrastructure will be jointly developed with state governments and farmer-producer organizations (FPOs) to streamline agricultural services. This integrated model will ensure that farmers receive real-time technical support, access to quality inputs, and market linkages.

He added that digital agriculture is a key enabler of this vision, with initiatives like the AgriStack, National Farmers Database, and Drone Didi Scheme already empowering farmers through technology-driven solutions.

Driving Nutritional Security and Rural Prosperity

The Union Minister reiterated that nutritional security is as critical as food security, emphasizing the promotion of nutri-cereals (millets) and bio-fortified crops. “Our goal is not only to feed India but to nourish India,” he said, adding that the government’s push for millets has already earned global recognition, especially after the United Nations declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, following India’s proposal.

He said that the government is now working to expand the Millet Mission 2.0, linking millet farmers with export markets and value chains for domestic and global consumption.

Linking Farmers to Markets and Global Value Chains

Highlighting the broader economic perspective, Shri Chouhan said that the Modi government’s focus is to make Indian agriculture globally competitive and export-oriented. He said, “India’s farmers are no longer confined to local mandis. With digital platforms like e-NAM, ONDC for Agri, and Farmer Producer Organizations, they are now directly connected to national and international buyers.”

He mentioned that the government’s efforts to promote post-harvest processing, logistics, and agri-export infrastructure have enabled India to export agricultural products worth ₹4 lakh crore annually.

“The next phase of India’s agricultural revolution will be defined by value addition, agri-tech, and global integration,” he added.

Rural Development and Inclusive Growth

As the Minister for both Agriculture and Rural Development, Shri Chouhan said that the two sectors are interlinked and complementary. The government is working to ensure rural infrastructure development, self-employment generation, and digital empowerment, aligning all rural schemes—such as PMGSY, PMAY (Gramin), and DAY-NRLM—with the larger agricultural growth agenda.

He emphasized that every new agricultural initiative will have a rural livelihood component, ensuring inclusive growth and equitable development.

Launch on October 11: A Tribute to Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan

Concluding the press conference, Shri Chouhan announced that Prime Minister Modi will launch these flagship initiatives on October 11, the birth anniversary of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, the great champion of democracy and rural upliftment.

He said the day will also witness the showcasing of India’s major achievements in agriculture, cooperative development, and rural transformation, symbolizing the government’s unwavering commitment to farmers’ welfare.

Building the Future of Indian Agriculture

The Minister closed his remarks by reaffirming the Modi government’s dedication to making agriculture a modern, profitable, and globally competitive sector. He said that with record production, expanding exports, new technology, and increased farmer participation, India is well on its way to becoming the “World’s Food Basket.”

“The goal is clear — from self-sufficiency to global leadership, from subsistence farming to sustainable prosperity. The farmer is at the heart of India’s growth story,” he declared.

The press conference was also attended by Agriculture Secretary Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, ICAR Director General and DARE Secretary Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, and senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.