More than 16 lakh farmer families in Haryana have received Rs 324.7 crore under the 24th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
The latest disbursement took the total amount transferred to beneficiaries in Haryana under the scheme's 24 instalments to Rs 8,206.3 crore, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said at a programme in Bhiwani held to mark the release.
Saini said the Prime Minister released the instalment from Banaskantha in Gujarat, transferring more than Rs 18,690 crore directly to the bank accounts of over 9.34 crore farmer families across the country. Each eligible family received Rs 2,000 as part of the latest instalment.
The national disbursement takes the cumulative amount transferred under PM-KISAN beyond Rs 4.64 lakh crore since the scheme was launched. The Centre has approved a financial outlay of Rs 3.15 lakh crore to continue the programme until 2030-31.
Saini highlights scheme's reach and financial support
Describing PM-KISAN as one of the world's largest direct benefit transfer programmes, Saini said it had changed the relationship between farmers and the government by creating a nationwide system to transfer financial assistance directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts.
He said farmers had received more than Rs 4.4 lakh crore through successive instalments so far, including over Rs 1 lakh crore during the Covid-19 pandemic. Women accounted for nearly one in four beneficiaries, with more than Rs 1 lakh crore transferred directly to women farmers under the scheme, he added.
Initially launched for small and marginal farmers, PM-KISAN was extended to cover all landholding farmer families within a few months, Saini said. More than 86% of the country's farmers are small and marginal cultivators who often need to borrow money to purchase seeds, fertilisers and meet other agricultural expenses at the beginning of the sowing season, he added.
Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana, who attended the Bhiwani programme, said the scheme provides eligible farmers Rs 6,000 annually in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each. He encouraged farmers to take up natural farming, describing the practice as being rooted in India's agricultural traditions.
Nearly 24,000 farmers adopt natural farming in Haryana
Saini also highlighted the state's efforts to promote natural farming, saying nearly two lakh farmers had registered around three lakh acres for the practice. Of these, 23,930 farmers had adopted natural farming across 44,000 acres.
More than 12,000 farmers have received training at natural farming centres in Kurukshetra, Jind, Sirsa and Karnal, he said.
The Prime Minister's programme in Gujarat also saw the dedication of 521 units established under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and the inauguration of 12 horticulture clusters. The initiatives are aimed at strengthening agricultural storage and processing facilities and encouraging the cultivation of high-value horticultural crops.
Saini thanks farmers over crop residue management
At the Bhiwani gathering, the Chief Minister also thanked Haryana's farmers for their contribution to efforts to prevent stubble burning and protect the environment.
“My heartfelt thanks to the farmers of Haryana, not a single farmer has burnt crop residue. Instead, they have turned it into a source of income, which is a matter of great pride,” Saini said.
He said crop residue was increasingly being used as a source of additional income and that the state government had helped farmers purchase subsidised machinery for its management.
However, data from the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space (CREAMS) recorded 29 farm-fire incidents in Haryana between September 15 and October 30 during the current kharif harvesting season. The figure was significantly lower than the 89 incidents reported during the corresponding period last year. Haryana had recorded 739 such incidents in 2024 and 1,094 in 2023.
The state has been using crop residue management machines and other measures to discourage farmers from burning stubble and encourage alternative methods of disposal.