Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MAFW) is the Union executive body responsible for formulating and executing national policies that sustain India’s agrarian economy, safeguard farmer livelihoods, and ensure food‑grain self‑sufficiency. Its remit spans crop production, livestock development, agricultural marketing, and the delivery of welfare schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, making it a pivotal conduit between the central government, state administrations, and the nation’s roughly 120 million cultivators.

Historical Background

The ministry traces its lineage to the Department of Food and Agriculture, created in 1946 under the British‑Indian administration to address wartime grain shortages. After independence, the Department was elevated to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in 1947, later renamed the Ministry of Agriculture in 1966. A landmark rebranding occurred on 5 July 2015 when the cabinet, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, added “Farmers Welfare” to the title, reflecting a policy shift toward direct income support. In 2019, the Ministry was bifurcated into two separate portfolios—Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Farmers Welfare—yet both continue to operate under a single ministerial umbrella for coordinated action.

Institutional Structure and Mechanism

As of 2024, the ministry is headed by Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who concurrently oversees the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agricultural Marketing, and the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. The Department of Cooperation, responsible for cooperative credit societies, reports to the same minister, while the newly created Department of Farmers Welfare is administered by Minister Rameswar Teli. Operational execution is delegated to autonomous bodies such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), which manages 100 research institutes, and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), which disbursed ₹1.2 lakh crore in agricultural credit during FY 2022‑23. State‑level agricultural departments, mandated by Article 246 of the Constitution, implement central schemes in coordination with the ministry’s zonal offices.

Major Schemes and Key Provisions

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM‑Kisan) launched on 24 February 2019, provides a direct cash transfer of ₹6,000 per annum to each small and marginal farmer owning up to 2 hectares of cultivable land. By March 2023, the scheme had enrolled 12.2 crore beneficiaries, delivering three installments of ₹2,000 each through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. Complementary programmes include the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) of 2016, which subsidises 70 % of premium for wheat, rice, and pulses, and the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) of 2015, targeting the irrigation of 5.5 million hectares annually to achieve “Har Khet Har Paani”. The National Food Security Act 2013 (NFS Act), administered by the ministry, guarantees subsidised grain to 75 % of the rural population, translating into an annual allocation of 100 million tonnes of rice and wheat.

Current Status and Implementation

The Union Budget for FY 2023‑24 earmarked ₹1.23 lakh crore for agriculture and allied sectors, marking a 12 % increase over the previous year. Food‑grain production rose to 119.6