Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana
The Union Cabinet approved the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) in 2025. This new agricultural scheme aims to develop 100 districts through the convergence of 36 schemes across 11 ministries. It has an annual budget of Rs 24,000 crore and will run for six years starting from the financial year 2025-26. The scheme focuses on improving agricultural productivity, sustainability, and credit availability in selected districts.
Implementation Framework
Each district under PMDDKY will prepare a Master Plan called the District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan. This plan is created by the District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti led by the District Collector and includes progressive farmers as members. The plan aligns with national goals such as crop diversification, water conservation, soil health, self-sufficiency, and promotion of organic farming. District, state, and national committees will oversee the scheme’s execution. Central Nodal Officers will conduct field visits and monitor progress. Agriculture universities will act as technical partners for knowledge support.
Convergence and Coordination
PMDDKY integrates 36 schemes from 11 ministries to ensure convergence and avoid duplication. This approach is inspired by the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) launched in 2018, which focused on transforming 112 underdeveloped districts. Like ADP, PMDDKY emphasises collaboration between central and state nodal officers and district collectors. It also promotes competition among districts through ranking based on performance indicators.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The scheme will track progress using 117 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across agriculture and allied sectors. A digital dashboard will be developed for real-time monitoring. District rankings will be updated monthly, encouraging healthy competition and accountability. NITI Aayog will provide guidance and capacity building to ensure effective implementation.
Objectives and Expected Outcomes
PMDDKY has five main goals – enhance agricultural productivity, promote crop diversification and sustainable farming, improve post-harvest storage at local levels, expand irrigation facilities, and increase availability of both long-term and short-term credit. The scheme aims to raise productivity and value addition in agriculture, generate local livelihoods, and contribute to Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). Improvement in these 100 districts is expected to positively impact national agricultural indicators.
District Selection Criteria
Selection of the 100 districts is based on three parameters – low agricultural productivity, moderate cropping intensity, and below-average credit access. Cropping intensity measures the number of crops grown per year on a piece of land. The scheme ensures at least one district from each state or Union Territory is included. The number of districts per state depends on net cropped area and operational holdings. This targeted approach aims to uplift regions with potential for agricultural growth.
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