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Centre sanctions over Rs 1,200 cr under PM-RKVY to 10 states
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Thursday, 01 October, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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The Centre has sanctioned more than Rs 1,200 crore to 10 states under the Prime Minister Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY), with the funds aimed at supporting agricultural development and strengthening implementation of farm-related programmes.
The sanctions were announced by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan during the second day of the National Agriculture Conference – Rabi Campaign 2026. The session was attended by Agriculture Ministers and senior officials from states, along with agricultural scientists and representatives of various institutions.
Under PM-RKVY, West Bengal received the highest allocation of Rs 290 crore, followed by Haryana with Rs 198 crore and Chhattisgarh with Rs 181 crore. Other allocations included Rs 154 crore for Arunachal Pradesh, Rs 114 crore for Bihar, Rs 104 crore for Karnataka, Rs 75 crore for Mizoram, Rs 64 crore for Himachal Pradesh, Rs 58 crore for Jharkhand and Rs 43 crore for Punjab.
Chouhan called for closer coordination between the Centre and states to strengthen food security and improve farmers’ livelihoods. He said the government was focusing not only on policy formulation but also on ensuring timely availability of resources to enable states to implement agricultural schemes without delays.
According to Chouhan, India’s agriculture growth rate has increased from 3% in 2015 to 4.5%. Average annual foodgrain production growth has also risen from around 40 lakh tonnes to 84 lakh tonnes. He further said rabi foodgrain production increased by 205 lakh tonnes between 2023-24 and 2025-26.
To strengthen Centre-state coordination, the government will introduce regular monthly virtual reviews with states. State Agriculture Teams will bring together Agriculture Ministers, Agriculture Secretaries, agricultural universities, ICAR institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), ATMA, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), farmers, processors, exporters and government officials. Similar monthly meetings will be conducted at the district level with collectors, agriculture officials, scientists, bankers and farmers.
The minister also announced an annual calendar for agricultural campaign meetings. District-level meetings for the Kharif campaign will be held on May 10 and state-level meetings on May 17, while district and state-level meetings for the Rabi campaign will be held on September 10 and September 17, respectively.
Chouhan called for a nationwide ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ from October 22 to November 30 to promote soil health and balanced fertiliser use based on Soil Health Cards. He also urged states to promote pulse cultivation in rice fallow areas of eastern India, particularly in Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal.
For the rabi season, states were advised to base crop and seed recommendations on soil moisture and water availability, strengthen pest and disease management, ensure eligible farmers are covered under Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs), and conduct transparent Crop Cutting Experiments under crop insurance schemes.
The minister also directed states to take action against fake fertilisers, spurious seeds and sub-standard pesticides and eliminate forced tagging. He advocated natural farming, integrated farming systems and crop diversification to improve agricultural sustainability and farm incomes.
On market access, Chouhan said the government was pursuing measures covering post-harvest management, scientific warehousing and marketing to improve returns for farmers. He said 100 per cent assured government procurement of tur, urad and masoor at Minimum Support Price (MSP) would be undertaken, with payments to be arranged within 48 hours.
He further highlighted opportunities arising from international Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), stating that Indian agricultural products, fruits, vegetables and foodgrains could gain greater access to global markets, supporting the country’s ambition to emerge as a major food supplier.
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