NEW DELHI, 13 August 2025: Farmer welfare schemes and policy interventions have significantly enhanced financial stability in rural India, with tangible gains in procurement earnings, insurance payouts, and access to credit, according to data tabled in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur.
During 2024–25 (up to June 2025), procurement reached 1,175 lakh metric tonnes, translating to INR 3.33 lakh crore in MSP payments, benefitting 1.84 crore farmers. The annual MSP for 22 mandated crops is fixed after recommendations from the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) and consultations with States and Central departments.
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) has, since its launch in February 2019, disbursed over INR 3.69 lakh crore to land-holding farmers through 19 Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) instalments, maintaining full beneficiary verification.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), farmers have paid INR 35,753 crore in premiums and received INR 1.83 lakh crore in claims since inception in 2016—about five times the total premium paid—providing a robust safety net against crop loss due to calamities and adverse weather.
The Kisan Credit Card (KCC), through the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS), continues to deliver concessional loans for working capital needs, with disbursements ranging from INR 14,251 crore in 2023–24 to INR 21,476 crore in 2021–22.
Launched in 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) has sanctioned INR 66,310 crore for 1,13,419 projects as of June 2025, mobilising INR 1.07 lakh crore in investment. Major assets include 30,202 custom hiring centres, 22,827 processing units, 15,982 warehouses, and 2,454 cold storage facilities, among others, aimed at modernising post-harvest management and community farming infrastructure.
Officials said these measures collectively strengthen farm incomes, reduce vulnerability to shocks, and build long-term resilience in India’s agriculture sector.
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