NEW DELHI, 31 August 2025: With 46.1% of India’s workforce employed in agriculture and the sector contributing 17.8% to GDP in FY 2023-24, the government has stepped up initiatives to enhance farm productivity and profitability, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ramnath Thakur informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Citing the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24 and National Accounts Statistics 2025, Mr. Thakur outlined a series of ongoing schemes aimed at improving yields, water-use efficiency, mechanisation, and seed quality.
The National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM), implemented across 28 States and two Union Territories, focuses on boosting foodgrain output through crop demonstrations, distribution of certified seeds, integrated nutrient and pest management, and improved farm tools. Farmers are incentivised to adopt modern practices that enhance both productivity and soil health.
To ensure availability of improved planting material, the Ministry is advising States and seed agencies to procure high-yielding and stress-tolerant varieties, including climate-smart crops developed by ICAR and State Agricultural Universities.
The government is also pushing farm mechanisation under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), which provides financial support for tractors, farm equipment, and the establishment of Custom Hiring Centres and Farm Machinery Banks to benefit small and marginal farmers.
Further, the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme, operational since 2015, promotes drip and sprinkler irrigation to conserve water, reduce fertiliser use, and cut labour costs. An evaluation by NITI Aayog in 2021 showed productivity gains ranging from 9% to 100?ross crops and States where micro-irrigation was adopted.
Officials said these interventions are part of a wider effort to make Indian agriculture more profitable, climate-resilient, and globally competitive, while ensuring smallholder farmers gain access to improved technologies and markets.
Image credit: fieldbee.com
