PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana Completes 1 Year: Achievements

Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) completed its first full year of implementation on 11 October 2026. Rolled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 October 2025, the scheme serves as an intensive, data-driven transformation model for 100 aspirational agricultural districts that historically lag in crop yield, cropping intensity, and credit flow.

To commemorate this milestone, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare hosted an event on 12 October 2026 at the Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium, National Agricultural Science Complex (NASC), PUSA, New Delhi. Addressing administrators, agricultural scientists, and farmer producer organizations (FPOs), Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan commended the foundational gains of year one and outlined the shift toward quantifiable, farmer-centric outcomes in year two.

PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY)

Core Philosophy: Convergence Over Standalone Funding

Rather than operating as an isolated subsidy, PMDDKY borrows the celebrated template of NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP). It relies on three operational pillars:

• Inter-Ministerial Convergence: Seamlessly bundles 36 existing Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes—such as PM-KISAN, PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)—with corresponding state schemes.
• Decentralized District Action Plans (DAPs): Every selected district prepares a localized DAP led by the District Magistrate/Collector. These blueprints factor in regional agro-climatic conditions, soil health profiles, rainfall variability, and native crop strengths.
• Three-Tier Governance Structure:
  • National Level: National Executive Committee (chaired by the Union Minister of Agriculture) and National Monitoring Committee (chaired by Secretary, DA&FW).
  • State Level: State Steering Committee headed by the Chief Secretary.
  • District Level: District Dhan-Dhaanya Samiti headed by the District Collector, featuring line department heads and progressive farmers.

The Six Core Objectives of PMDDKY

Progress across participating districts is evaluated through 121 output and outcome indicators tracked dynamically on a dedicated NITI Aayog dashboard:

1. Enhancing Agricultural Productivity: Closing yield deficits through high-yielding, climate-resilient certified seeds, mechanization, and precision farming.
2. Crop Diversification & Sustainable Farming: Moving farmers away from risky monocultures toward pulses, oilseeds, millets (Shree Anna), and natural/organic farming techniques.
3. Augmenting Post-Harvest Storage: Constructing scientific warehouses, primary processing units, and cold chains at panchayat and block levels to reduce harvest losses below 5%.
4. Expanding Irrigation Infrastructure: Expanding micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler), solar pumps, check dams, and water-harvesting catchments in dryland tracts.
5. Facilitating Agricultural Credit: Enhancing Kisan Credit Card (KCC) penetration, term loans, and allied-sector credit (dairy, fisheries, animal husbandry) for small and marginal farmers.
6. Strengthening Governance & Service Delivery: Improving extension outreach via Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), digital crop surveys, and Kisan Samriddhi Kendras.

Year-One Performance Milestones (2025–26)

The first year focused on laying the administrative, digital, and grassroots foundation:

• Dramatic Score Jump: The composite average score across all 100 districts rose from 18.85 in April 2026 to 46.89 in August 2026—an absolute surge of 28.04 points.
• Universal DAP Formulation: 100% of the selected 100 districts successfully drafted, validated, and uploaded their tailored District Action Plans.
• Corporate CSR Integration: The Department of Public Enterprises mandated the adoption of PMDDKY districts under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) allocations for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) for FY 2026–27 and FY 2027–28.
• Farmer Collectives at Scale: The PM-DDKY Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) Sangam convened in December 2025, uniting over 72 FPOs across 15 states to link field produce directly with corporate supply chains.

Key Sub-Indicator Score Breakdown (April to August 2026)

• Crop Diversification & Sustainable Practices: Improved from 4.08 to 10.18
• Post-Harvest Storage Capacity: Improved from 2.14 to 5.19
• Irrigation Infrastructure: Rose from 1.38 to 4.91
• Agricultural Credit Flow: Climbed from 2.40 to 6.53
• Governance & Delivery: Advanced from 7.41 to 12.05

Top-Performing Districts Recognized (October 2026 Awards)

During the anniversary ceremony, the Ministry felicitated top-performing district administrations based on their Delta performance rankings:

Overall Top Three Districts

1. 1st Rank: Gaya (Bihar)
2. 2nd Rank: Nagaur (Rajasthan)
3. 3rd Rank: Umaria (Madhya Pradesh)

Thematic Champions Across the 6 Objectives

Ground-Level Impact: FPO Case Studies

• Processing at the Farm Gate (Gadchiroli, Maharashtra): The Desaiganj Farmers Producer Co. Ltd. (800 farmer members) set up a modern 3-tonne-per-hour rice processing plant and a 900 MT storage godown for the indigenous Jay Sri Ram paddy variety, generating a turnover of ₹1.24 crore in FY 2025–26.
• Direct Global Market Access (Tumakuru, Karnataka): The Tiptur Farmer Producer Co. Ltd. (750 members) eliminated middlemen by supplying premium ball copra directly to European multinationals, aggregating over 138 tonnes valued at ₹1.9 crore.
• Solar-Powered Precision Agriculture (Jaisalmer, Rajasthan): The Jaisalmer Krishi Fed Producer Co. Ltd. (1,236 members) scaled Integrated Pest Management (IPM) cumin across 2,000 acres using solar-powered pressurized sprinkler systems across 500 acres.

Roadmap for Year Two (2026–27)

With institutional mechanisms, nodal officers, and baseline diagnostics in place, the second year transitions from process formulation to tangible economic deliverables:

• Outcome-Oriented Delivery: Tracking net household income improvement, localized yield parity with state averages, and reduction in distress sales.
• Khet Bachao Abhiyan (22 October – 30 November 2026): A nationwide, intensive 40-day campaign targeting chemical fertilizer de-addiction, soil rejuvenation, and balanced NPK/micronutrient application across all Dhan-Dhaanya clusters.
• Farmer Representation in Governance: Mandating the formal inclusion of two local progressive farmers in every District Dhan-Dhaanya Samiti to guarantee community-driven oversight.
• High-Value Value-Chain Linkages: Prioritizing horticulture, medicinal plants, aromatic cultivation, and agro-processing hubs backed by central AIF grants.