Doubling Farmers’ Income, Objectives, Reforms, Challenges, Impact

Doubling Farmers’ Income is a long term national development objective focused on improving the real income of agricultural households through productivity, diversification, cost reduction, price assurance and market reforms. Agriculture supports nearly half of India’s workforce but contributes less than one-fifth to national income, highlighting structural income stress. Recognising this imbalance, the Government of India adopted a comprehensive, income centric approach, supported by institutional reforms, public investment and convergence of schemes across ministries and states.

Doubling Farmers’ Income

Doubling Farmers’ Income refers to increasing the real income of farmers through multiple income sources rather than relying only on crop output. An Inter Ministerial Committee was constituted in April 2016 under the chairmanship of Ashok Dalwai to examine strategies for achieving this goal. The Committee submitted its final report in September 2018. An Empowered Body was formed on January 23rd 2019 to monitor implementation.

Read about: Agriculture in India

Doubling Farmers’ Income Objectives

Doubling Farmers’ Income objectives focus on addressing structural weaknesses of Indian agriculture through productivity, income security and livelihood diversification as mentioned below:

• Crop Productivity Enhancement: Increase yield per hectare through improved seeds, soil health management, precision farming, and technology adoption to raise output without proportionate cost increases.
• Livestock Productivity Growth: Expand livestock’s contribution to agricultural income by improving breeds, veterinary coverage, disease control, and dairy infrastructure, targeting a higher share in agricultural GVA.
• Cost Reduction in Farming: Lower input costs by promoting micro irrigation, soil test based fertiliser use, mechanisation, and efficient energy use to improve net income margins.
• Cropping Intensity Improvement: Increase multiple cropping through irrigation expansion and short duration crops, enabling farmers to harvest more than one crop annually from the same land.
• Diversification to High Value Agriculture: Shift farm area towards horticulture, oilseeds, pulses, fisheries, beekeeping, and agroforestry that generate higher returns per hectare.
• Remunerative Price Realisation: Ensure fair prices through MSP reforms, procurement mechanisms, and price deficiency payments to protect farmers from distress sales.
• Non Farm Income Expansion: Enable surplus rural labour to move into processing, storage, services, and agri enterprises, reducing pressure on small landholdings.

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Doubling Farmers’ Income Reforms

Major policy, institutional and technological reforms undertaken to operationalise Doubling Farmers’ Income strategies are:

• Budgetary Support Expansion: Allocation for the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare increased from ₹21,933.50 crore in 2013-14 to ₹1,27,290.16 crore in 2025-26.
• Direct Income Support via PM KISAN: Eligible farmers receive ₹6,000 annually, providing predictable income support and cushioning consumption needs, especially for small and marginal farmers.
• Risk Mitigation through PMFBY and RWBCIS: Crop insurance reduces income volatility by covering yield and weather related losses, supported by technology based assessment mechanisms.
• Market Price Stabilisation under PM AASHA: Price Support Scheme, Price Deficit Payment Scheme, and Market Intervention Scheme protect farmers when market prices fall below MSP.
• Technology Adoption through Digital Agriculture Mission: Agristack, crop sown registry, and decision support systems enable data driven farming.
• e-NAM Market Integration: Integration of over 1,400 mandis enhances price discovery, transparency, and inter state trade, reducing dependence on local intermediaries.
• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund Expansion: Interest subvention and credit guarantees support warehouses, cold storages, grading units, and logistics, reducing post harvest losses.
• Farmer Producer Organisation Promotion: Formation of 10,000 FPOs strengthens collective bargaining, input procurement, value addition, and market access.
• Natural and Sustainable Farming Push: National Mission on Natural Farming promotes low input, climate resilient agriculture, reducing chemical dependency and production costs.
• Allied Sector Promotion: Beekeeping, fisheries, agroforestry, and bamboo cultivation diversify income sources.

Doubling Farmers’ Income Challenges

Various challenges faced due to the Doubling Farmers’ Income has been listed below:

• Small and Fragmented Landholdings: Average operational holding around 1.08 hectare restricts mechanisation, economies of scale and adoption of advanced technologies.
• Irrigation Gaps: Large rainfed areas remain vulnerable, with micro irrigation adoption still below potential.
• Market Price Volatility: Harvest time prices often fall below MSP due to procurement and logistics limitations.
• Climate Change Risks: Increasing frequency of droughts, floods and heat stress affects yields, livestock health and long term income stability.
• Credit and Insurance Exclusion: A significant share of small farmers still relies on informal credit, while insurance penetration and timely claim settlement remain uneven.
• Digital Divide: Limited digital literacy and smartphone access reduce benefits from digital platforms, advisories and online markets.
• Post Harvest Losses: Inadequate storage and processing facilities lead to significant losses, especially for perishable horticulture produce.
• Livestock Health Gaps: Incomplete vaccination coverage affects productivity and income from allied activities.

Doubling Farmers’ Income Impact

Various measurable outcomes and trends linked to Doubling Farmers’ Income initiatives have been listed below:

1. Rising Farm Household Income: Average monthly income increased from ₹6,426 in 2012-13 to ₹10,218 in 2018-19, a 59% nominal rise.
2. Improved Consumption Levels: Rural per capita consumption expenditure rose from ₹1,430 in 2011-12 to ₹4,122 in 2023-24, indicating enhanced purchasing power.
3. Horticulture and Allied Sector Growth: Horticulture output surpassed foodgrain production, showing successful diversification into higher value crops.
4. Infrastructure Creation: 2454+ cold storage and logistics projects sanctioned under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund with investment of ₹8,258 crore by June 2025.
5. Digital Market Integration: e-NAM integrated over 1473 mandis, facilitating transparent price discovery and interstate trade.
6. Global Competitiveness: India emerged as a leading producer of milk, fruits, vegetables and millets, supporting export growth and price realisation.
7. Dairy Sector Leadership: India contributes about 25% of global milk production, strengthening farm income stability.
8. Skill and Employment Creation: ICAR documented over 75,000 farmer success stories where incomes more than doubled through scheme convergence.