New Delhi, 12 March (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will disburse the 22nd installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme tomorrow during an event in Guwahati, Assam, transferring ₹18,640 crore via Direct Benefit Transfer to 9.32 crore farmers' accounts.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the details Thursday, noting over ₹4.09 lakh crore disbursed thus far, benefiting more than 2.15 crore women farmers. Studies show the aid boosts farm investments, reduces moneylender dependence, and bolsters rural economies.

Chouhan highlighted decade-long strides: foodgrain output rose from 252 million tonnes in 2014 to 357 million tonnes, with India overtaking China as top rice producer at 150 million tonnes. Horticulture surged from 277 to 369 million tonnes; pulses production achieved self-sufficiency as the world's largest producer-consumer.

Key initiatives include the AI-driven 'Bharat Vistar' platform for multilingual agri-advice via one call, agricultural credit expansion from ₹8.45 lakh crore to ₹28.69 lakh crore, and ₹2 lakh crore crop insurance claims settled.

Agriculture budget ballooned from ₹27,000 crore under UPA to over ₹1.40 lakh crore annually, sustaining the grand yagna for farmers' welfare.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar