The Centre announced the development of 100 Aspirational Agriculture Districts under the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY).

About PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yajana

• Objective: Aims to uplift 100 districts with low agricultural productivity, low cropping intensity, and limited credit access.
• Inspiration: The scheme draws inspiration from NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme.
• Sectoral Focus: It is the first scheme focused exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors.

Key Features of the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY)

• Selection Criteria for Districts: 
  • Identification of the 100 aspirational agricultural districts was based on:
    1. Low productivity of major crops.
    2. Moderate crop intensity, indicating underutilisation of agricultural potential.
    3. Below-average access to institutional credit, constraining farm investment.
  • The number of districts selected per state was determined by net cropped area and number of operational holdings, ensuring balanced regional representation.
• Implementation Mechanism: 
  • Convergence Approach: The scheme will function through the convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 ministries/departments, as there is no separate budgetary allocation.
  • Financial Outlay: The initiative will have an estimated annual outlay of ₹24,000 crore, sourced from existing programme budgets.
  • Implementing Agency: Out of the total schemes, 19 will be implemented under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DAFW)
• District-Level Planning: Each district will prepare a District Agriculture Development Plan (DADP) to ensure coordinated and need-based implementation of activities.

Additional Reading: Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana

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