Page 23 - NIS English 1-15 Feb, 2026

Agri & Farmers’ Welfare | COVER STORY
The Path to Prosperity
Through Crop Protection
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
PMFBY was launched on February 18, 2016.
Now, crop damage due to wild animals and paddy
waterlogging are both covered under PMFBY. It will
be implemented across the country from the Kharif
season of 2026.
92.92 farmer applicants availed crop
insurance for 55.48 crore hectares
Crore of land since the scheme’s
inception until January 8, 2026.
More than 50% of the applicants
are OBC, SC, and ST farmers.
₹1,91,620
Crore in claims have been disbursed to farmers.
Farmers had paid a premium of ₹39,446 crore.
Fertilizers
A 45 kg bag of urea is available to farmers for
₹266, while its actual cost is more than ₹1,633. The
remaining amount is borne by the government as a
subsidy. A 50 kg bag of DAP is available to farmers
for ₹1,350, while its cost is ₹3,100.
₹14.6 lakh crore has been spent
by the government on
fertilizer subsidies.
Approxi- lakh tonnes of urea were
mately 525 produced in the year 2025
April 14, 2016, the e-NAM platform, a step towards
‘One Nation, One Market,’ had already become a
reality. PM Modi’s vision is to ensure balanced and
equitable development for all farmers across the
nation, as until now, only a handful of prosperous
farmers were benefiting, and approximately 86
percent of small and marginal farmers were deprived
of these benefits. However, in the last 11 years, the
way work has been done in the agricultural sector in
a phased manner – before, during, and after sowing
– has empowered the country’s farmers. Making
Soil Health
The government promotes the judicious use of
fertilizers through the Soil Health and Fertility
Management scheme. A Soil Health Card is issued for
each farm at least once every three years.
25.61 Soil Health Cards have been
distributed since the scheme’s
Crore inception in 2014-15 until December
9, 2025. Soil mapping has been
completed on 290 lakh hectares of
land in 40 aspirational districts.
Crop Diversification Programme
The scheme aims to encourage farmers to shift from
water-intensive crops like paddy to alternatives such as
pulses, oilseeds, and coarse grains.
n 184 new varieties of 25 crops have been developed
by scientists of the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research, keeping in mind different agro-climatic
conditions, soil types, and farming practices, which
will accelerate crop diversification.
fundamental changes, the central government
has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP). For
example, the government has made the largest-ever
procurement at MSP, whether it is the Kharif or Rabi
season. Because of this partnership between farmers
and the government, India’s granaries are full today.
TRANSFORMING LIVES OF FARMERS
The central government has taken a major initiative
to transform the lives of farmers, something unprece-
dented in history. By providing farmers with an annual
February 1-15, 2026 || NEW INDIA SAMACHAR 21