Union Budget 2025: Credit & welfare sops in growth sauce for kisan – The Times of India-OxBig News Network

Positioning agriculture as the “first” engine of growth, the Budget proposes multiple schemes to boost farming, including a special programme in 100 low-productivity agricultural districts.
Additionally, it proposes a six-year mission to make the country self-reliant in producing pulses, enhancing farmers’ well-being and overall rural prosperity.
Govt has also proposed to increase the subsidised Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loan limit to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 3 lakh.KCC now facilitates short-term loans for 7.7 crore farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers.
The district-based scheme aims to enhance agricultural productivity, adopt crop diversification and sustainable agriculture practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of long- and short-term credit.
The scheme will be implemented in partnership with states in the 100 agri districts that grapple with low productivity, moderate crop intensity and below-average credit. “This programme is likely to help 1.7 crore farmers,” said FM Sitharaman.
The six-year mission for pulses will focus on boosting tur, urad and masoor output through development and commercial availability of climate-resilient seeds, enhancing protein content, increasing productivity, improving post-harvest storage and management, and assuring remunerative prices to farmers. “Under this initiative, cooperatives Nafed and NCCF will procure pulses for four years from registered farmers,” the FM announced.
Other initiatives proposed include the launch of a National Mission on High Yielding Seeds and a Mission for Cotton Productivity; setting up a Makhana Board in Bihar; bringing out an enabling framework for sustainable harnessing of fisheries from Indian Exclusive Economic Zone and High Seas with a special focus on Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep; and building a fertiliser plant with annual capacity of 12.7 lakh metric tonnes at Namrup, Assam.