Promoting the Alternative Income Sources for Farmers

08 December 2025, New Delhi: Government of India follows the following integrated strategy to support States & UTs in enhancing farmer incomes and comprehensive growth of agriculture sector:

(i) Increase crop production/ productivity
(ii) Reduce cost of production
(iii)  Remunerative returns of farmers’ produce to enhance their incomes.
(iv) Agricultural diversification
(v) Developing post harvest value addition
(vi) Adaptation to climate change for sustainable agriculture and mitigate against crop losses

Since Agriculture is a State subject, Government of India supports the States through appropriate policy measures, budgetary allocation and various schemes.  The Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare(DA&FW) from Rs. 21,933.50 crore BE during 2013-14 to Rs. 1,27,290.16 crore BE during 2025-26.

Major schemes of DA&FW to increase the income of farmers and for the development of agriculture Sector in India are as under:

1. Pradhan MantriKisanSammanNidhi (PM-KISAN)
2. Pradhan MantriKisanMaanDhanYojana (PM-KMY)
3. Pradhan MantriFasalBimaYojana (PMFBY)/ Restructured Weather Based Crop  Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)
4. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)
5. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
6. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs)
7. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
8. Namo Drone Didi
9. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
10. Pradhan MantriAnnadataAaySanraksHanAbhiyan (PM-AASHA)
11. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises’ (AgriSURE)
12. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)
13. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
14. ParamparagatKrishiVikasYojana (PKVY)
15. Soil Health & Fertility (SH&F)
16. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
17. Agroforestry
18. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)
19. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
20. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
21. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)
22. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM)
23. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
24. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm
25. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds
26. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region
27. Digital Agriculture Mission
28. National Bamboo Mission

Government fixes Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated agricultural crops and Fair & Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering the views of State Governments and Central Ministries/Departments concerned. The 22 mandated crops include 14 Kharif crops viz. paddy, jowar, bajra,  maize, ragi, tur (arhar), moong, urad, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, nigerseed, cotton and 6 Rabi crops viz. wheat, barley, gram, masur (lentil), rapeseed & mustard, safflower and two commercial crops viz. jute and copra.

While recommending MSPs, CACP considers important factors like cost of production, overall demand-supply conditions, domestic and international prices, inter-crop price parity, terms of trade between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, the likely effect on the rest of the economy, besides ensuring rational utilization of land, water and other production resources and a minimum of 50 percent as the margin over cost of production. The inclusion of crops under MSP framework is dependent on several factors which include relatively large shelf life, widely grown, item of mass consumption, essential for food security, among others.

The Union Budget for 2018-19 had announced the pre-determined principle to keep MSPs at levels of one and half times of the cost of production. Accordingly, Government had increased MSPs for all mandated Kharif, Rabi and other Commercial crops with a minimum return of 50 percent over all India weighted average cost of production from year 2018-19 onwards. The details of MSPs (marketing Season wise) fixed by Government from 2018-19 onwards is at Annexure.

Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare does not have any  scheme for Agri Related Tourism Activities.  Development and promotion of tourist destinations and products, including rural tourism is undertaken by the respective State Government/Union Territory (UT) Administration.  The Ministry of Tourism through its central sector schemes of ‘Swadesh Darshan (SD)’, ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’ and ‘Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development’ complements the efforts of tourism infrastructure development in the country by extending financial assistance to the State Governments/UT Administrations. Rural Circuit has been identified as one of the thematic circuits under Swadesh Darshan Scheme.  Ministry of Tourism has revamped the Swadesh Darshan Scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD 2.0) with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations, following a destination & tourist-centric approach. Ministry of Tourism has also formulated national strategies for development of rural tourism and promotion of rural homestays in India.

Annexure Minimum Support Price(Marketing Season-wise)(₹/quintal) (As on 01.10.2025)
Sr. No.	Commodities	KMS    2021-22	KMS    2022-23	KMS      2023-24	KMS     2024-25	KMS     2025-26
	KHARIF CROPS
1	Paddy (Common)	1940	2040	2183	2300	2369
	Paddy (Grade ‘A’)	1960	2060	2203	2320	2389
2	Jowar (Hybrid)	2738	2970	3180	3371	3699
	Jowar (Maldandi)	2758	2990	3225	3421	3749
3	Bajra	2250	2350	2500	2625	2775
4	Ragi	3377	3578	3846	4290	4886
5	Maize	1870	1962	2090	2225	2400
6	Arhar	6300	6600	7000	7550	8000
7	Moong	7275	7755	8558	8682	8768
8	Urad	6300	6600	6950	7400	7800
9	Cotton (Medium Staple )	5726	6080	6620	7121	7710
	Cotton (Long Staple )	6025	6380	7020	7521	8110
10	Groundnut	5550	5850	6377	6783	7263
11	Sunflower Seed	6015	6400	6760	7280	7721
12	Soyabean Yellow	3950	4300	4600	4892	5328
13	Sesamum	7307	7830	8635	9267	9846
14	Nigerseed	6930	7287	7734	8717	9537
	RABI CROPS	RMS    2022-23	RMS    2023-24	RMS     2024-25	RMS     2025-26	RMS2026-27
15	Wheat	2015	2125	2275	2425	2585
16	Barley	1635	1735	1850	1980	2150
17	Gram	5230	5335	5440	5650	5875
18	Masur	5500	6000	6425	6700	7000
19	Rapeseed & mustard	5050	5450	5650	5950	6200
20	Safflower	5441	5650	5800	5940	6540
	COMMERCIAL CROPS
		2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
21	Jute	4500	4750	5050	5335	5650
		2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
22	Copra (milling)	10335	10590	10860	11160	11582
	Copra (ball)	10600	11000	11750	12000	12100
	Note: KMS: Kharif Marketing Season, RMS: Rabi Marketing Season

This information was given by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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