New Delhi, May 9: The central government has intensified efforts to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and promote sustainable farming practices. According to an official fact sheet released by the government, the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), initiated in 2014-15, has allocated ₹21,199.84 crores for the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) program. This initiative has covered 850,000 hectares and benefited approximately 1.435 million farmers.
The government also reported a significant push towards water conservation and efficient water use in agriculture through micro-irrigation schemes. Since 2015-16, around 10.9 million hectares have been brought under micro-irrigation, with the central government providing ₹26,325 crores in assistance. The government aims to bring an additional 10 million hectares under micro-irrigation between 2025-26 and 2029-30, planning to cover at least 2 million hectares annually under the ‘Per Drop More Crop’ (PDMC) scheme.
To enhance soil quality, the government is focusing on the Soil Health Card scheme. During the 2025-26 period, 9.753 million soil samples were collected, with 9.287 million samples tested. Since 2015, a total of 257.9 million Soil Health Cards have been issued. These cards provide farmers with tailored advice on nutrient and fertilizer use based on their crops, improving soil quality and boosting production.
According to a 2025 report by NITI Aayog, the Soil Health Card scheme has led to a reduction in the excessive use of urea and progress towards balanced fertilizer application. Among surveyed farmers, 68.5% reported significant improvements in soil quality due to the recommended practices, while 25.7% noted partial improvements.
The government also highlighted that between 2014 and 2025, 2,996 climate-resilient crop varieties have been developed and released under the National Agricultural Research System. These new varieties are designed to yield better results under changing weather and climatic conditions.
In India, approximately 60% of farming is rainfed, contributing about 40% to the country’s total food production. Therefore, conserving natural resources and developing sustainable agricultural systems is deemed crucial. The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture was launched under the National Action Plan on Climate Change to address these needs.
Subsequently, from 2018-19, this mission was implemented as a sub-mission under the ‘Green Revolution – Krishonnati Yojana.’ From 2022-23, it was integrated into the Pradhan Mantri National Agriculture Development Scheme (PMRKVY) to advance climate-resilient and sustainable agricultural development in a cohesive manner.
According to the government, the Rainfed Area Development program encourages farmers to adopt integrated farming systems. This includes multi-cropping, crop rotation, mixed farming, along with horticulture, animal husbandry, and aquaculture, aiming to increase farmers’ income and make agriculture more secure and sustainable.
For the financial year 2025-26, ₹343.86 crores have been allocated to states and union territories under this scheme, providing training to 96,013 farmers.
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