The State Cabinet here on Tuesday gave in-principle approval to launch the Madhya Pradesh Krishak Kalyan Mission by integrating the ongoing schemes under various departments — namely, the Farmers' Welfare and Agriculture Development Department, Horticulture and Food Processing Department, Fisheries Department, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Department, Cooperative Department, and the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department.
Madhya Pradesh has made unprecedented progress in the agriculture sector. Agricultural productivity (kg/hectare) increased from 1,195 in 2002–03 to 2,393 in 2024 — a 200% rise. Crop production (in lakh metric tons) rose from 224 in 2002–03 to 723 in 2024 — a 323% increase. The agricultural growth rate (in percentage) grew from 3% in 2002–03 to 9.8% in 2024 — a 327% rise. The agriculture sector's budget (in core rupees) increased from ?600 crore in 2002–03 to Rs. 27,050 crore in 2024, marking a growth of 4,508%. Agriculture now contributes 39% to the state's GDP.
The Madhya Pradesh Krishak Kalyan Mission aims to increase farmers’ income, promote climate-resilient agriculture, adopt sustainable farming practices, preserve biodiversity and traditional agricultural knowledge, ensure nutritional and food security, and ensure fair prices for farm produce.
Key Areas of Focus in mission are Increased productivity of crops under agriculture and horticulture, Promotion of high-value crops, Access to quality inputs like seeds, planting material, fertilizers, pesticides, Agricultural extension and skill development, Easy access to low-interest credit, Promotion of food processing and agro-based industries, Value-chain development and strengthening existing chains, and R&D for region-specific agricultural challenges.
To accomplish Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Agriculture & Horticulture mission encompasses Adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Expansion of organic/natural farming, Development of market linkages and certification systems for organic/natural produce, Ensuring fair prices for produce, Modernization of mandis (agricultural markets), Use of technology for mandi management, Transparent and fair auction processes, Developing mechanisms for selling produce outside mandis, and Preparing plans for under futures contracts.
To increase farmers’ income, they would have cooperative support for Expansion of milk collection coverage through cooperatives to 26,000 villages, Increase milk collection and processing capacity to 50 lakh liters/day, Reduce stray cattle population via stall feeding and mineral mixture use, Promote self-employment in fisheries through technologies like cage farming and biofloc, and Provide zero-interest loans through Fishers/Farmers Credit Card scheme.
Other Mission Components Include Climate adaptation and risk mitigation in agriculture, Development of climate-resilient varieties, Integration of animal husbandry and fisheries with crop farming, and Documentation, preservation, and use of traditional agricultural knowledge and practices.
Expected Outcomes of the Mission Include Gross value addition from horticulture to surpass that of field crops, Increase area under horticulture to match national averages, Raise agricultural mechanization by 1.5 times, Increase capital investment by 75% in agriculture, Make the state stubble-burning free, Bring 10% of total sown area under organic/natural/GAP agriculture, Expand micro-irrigation to 20% of cultivated land, Cover 50% of farmland under crop insurance, Use hyrid and improved seeds on 50% of the area, Provide subsidized solar pumps to make farmers "Urja Daatas" (energy providers), Establish new processing zones and expand marketing networks, Make the state self-reliant in fish seed production, Increase value realization for fish produce by 1.5 times through cold chain.
