Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that district-led planning and inter-ministerial coordination is key to agricultural growth. The Minister said this while addressing the national conference on the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY). Emphasising the importance of localised planning, Mr Chouhan said the framework for the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana had been prepared by district collectors based on actual ground conditions.
Mr Chouhan said that PMDDKY prioritises 100 districts that have lagged in agricultural productivity, have low cropping intensity or face inadequate institutional credit flow. He directed officials to promote pulses and oilseeds in rice fallow areas, where fields remain uncultivated after paddy harvesting, through a mission-mode approach. He also called for wider coverage of the Kisan Credit Card scheme and a faster flow of institutional credit, particularly in eastern India and underdeveloped districts. The Minister said that farmers need access to capital to adopt advanced agricultural technologies and use better seeds and fertilisers. The conference recognised the best-performing districts for their exemplary work.
