Agriculture

Highlights

• The allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is Rs. 57,600 crore for 2018-19 BE, up from Rs. 44,500 crore in 2017-18 BE. 
• However, as a share of total Union Budget and GDP, no such increase is noticed since 2014-15.
• Within the Ministry’s allocation, the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries depicts the highest growth.
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), National Mission on Horticulture, schemes under White Revolution and Blue Revolution received priority allocation in Union Budget 2018-19.
• Ground water irrigation scheme under Prime Minister Krishi Sinchai Yojna - Har Khet ko Pani received an allocation of Rs. 2,660 crore in Union Budget 2018-19, up from Rs. 1,450 core in 2017-18 BE.
• Allocation for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana registered a decline in the current budget, the lowest since its implementation.
• The Budget assured that Minimum Support Price (MSP) for majority of rabi and kharif crops would be one-and-a-half times the production cost.
• There is no change in the allocation for interest subvention for providing short term credit to farmers.