Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, reviewed the implementation of the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY) at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, with a focus on speeding up work across 100 identified districts and ensuring that government interventions deliver visible benefits to farmers.
The review meeting examined district-wise performance, implementation of District Action Plans (DAPs), financial progress, field monitoring, capacity building and convergence among various government schemes. The Minister also stressed the need to strengthen outcome-based monitoring so that progress is measured not merely through expenditure or activities but through actual improvements in farmers’ lives.
PM-DDKY Uses Data to Track District Performance
PM-DDKY covers 100 districts selected on the basis of factors such as low agricultural productivity, limited cropping intensity and lower agricultural credit disbursement. The programme seeks to address these challenges through coordinated interventions in six major areas—raising agricultural productivity, encouraging crop diversification and sustainable farming, expanding post-harvest storage, improving irrigation infrastructure, increasing access to agricultural credit, and strengthening governance and service delivery.
The scheme brings together 36 Central government schemes across 11 Ministries and Departments, along with State government programmes and private-sector initiatives. This convergence is intended to ensure that resources and interventions complement each other at the district level.
The PM-DDKY monitoring framework includes 121 indicators, comprising 74 output indicators and 47 outcome indicators. Districts are ranked every month on output indicators through the scheme’s dashboard, while outcome indicators are being used to evaluate progress against established baselines.
The average performance score of the 100 districts rose from 22.54 in April 2026 to 38.85 in July 2026, marking an improvement of 16.31 points. Gains were recorded across all six objectives, including agricultural productivity, sustainable practices, storage, irrigation, credit access and governance.
District Action Plans Completed Across All 100 Districts
The review noted that every identified district has uploaded its District Action Plan, with feedback provided for all 100 plans. The districts have also submitted output-indicator data through July 2026 and outcome-indicator data for the financial year 2025-26.
Monitoring mechanisms have been established at the national, State and district levels. Central Nodal Officers are conducting field visits regularly to assess implementation and provide feedback for improving performance.
Greater Focus on Farmers’ Benefits
A key focus of the review was the transition towards outcome-oriented monitoring. The government is developing systems that can track not only the funds invested and activities undertaken but also the number of farmers benefiting from different interventions and the results achieved.
The Financial Progress Module of the PM-DDKY dashboard became operational on 31 August 2026, while the Beneficiary Progress Module is expected to be introduced by mid-September. Once operational, the module will enable more systematic tracking of beneficiary-level progress.
The strengthened monitoring system will also capture investments from Central and State schemes, as well as private-sector initiatives, allowing authorities to assess the cumulative impact of interventions in the Dhan-Dhaanya districts.
Capacity Building Gains Momentum
Farmer and extension-worker training has emerged as another important component of PM-DDKY. Between January and July 2026, around 6.91 lakh farmers and 88,961 extension workers received training in various areas. Additionally, more than 2.20 lakh farmers and extension workers underwent training related to natural farming.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras are supporting these efforts as technical partners, helping strengthen agricultural extension and facilitate the adoption of improved farming practices.
CSR and Institutional Convergence Strengthened
The review also discussed greater participation from Central Public Sector Enterprises. The Department of Public Enterprises has included the adoption of PM-DDKY districts for CSR activities by CPSEs during 2026-27 and 2027-28. This could provide additional resources for development initiatives in the selected districts.
PM-DDKY was approved by the Union Cabinet on 16 July 2025 and launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 October 2025. With the programme approaching its first anniversary in October 2026, the government plans to showcase the achievements and performance of the 100 Dhan-Dhaanya districts during upcoming Rabi and regional conferences.
The review also considered convening the National Executive Committee under the Agriculture Minister and increasing farmer participation by proposing the nomination of two progressive farmers from each district to the District Dhan-Dhaanya Committee.
Author: Shivam
Shivam Dwivedi is a senior journalist with extensive experience in research-driven journalism, policy communication, and multi-platform storytelling. His areas of interest include international relations, defence, science & technology, education, urban development, agriculture, spirituality, and environmental sustainability. His work focuses on in-depth analysis, public discourse, and impactful narratives across governance and development sectors, with a strong commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Contact: [email protected]
