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India boosts farm sector with over Rs 1 lakh crore agriculture infrastructure push
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Wednesday, 18 February, 2026, 14 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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The Government of India outlined major strides in transforming agriculture from “field to farm” through visionary infrastructure investments worth over Rs 1 lakh crore under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in the Rajya Sabha. The Minister said the efforts reflect a shift from seeing farmers merely as food producers to recognising them as vital life givers in the nation’s socio-economic fabric.
Addressing questions from Members of Parliament, Chouhan emphasised that policies like the AIF, enhanced Minimum Support Price (MSP), the Self-Reliance in Pulses Mission and renewable energy scheme PM-KUSUM are yielding tangible results for farmers nationwide. He highlighted that modern storage, processing and mechanisation infrastructure has cut post-harvest crop losses by up to 15 per cent, enabling farmers to secure better prices for their produce.
Under AIF, tens of thousands of facilities — including custom hiring centres, primary processing units, farm automation tools, warehouses, cold storages and sorting units — have been established across India, providing farmers with better access to storage and market linkages. In Punjab alone, projects worth over Rs 11,351 crore were approved against initial targets of Rs 7,425 crore.
On pulses, Chouhan announced that India would ensure 100 per cent procurement of key pulses like tur (pigeon pea), masoor (lentil) and urad (black gram), with procurement agencies and state governments authorised to implement timely purchase and direct benefit transfers to farmers. He noted that pulses production has surged, once reversing India’s dependence on imports.
The Minister also stressed support for crop diversification and scientific residue management, highlighting incentives for mechanisation, cluster-based production and higher quality seeds to ensure balanced agricultural growth and sustainability.
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