Agriculture and allied activities form the core of the Union Budget 2026–27, with the third Kartavya outlining targeted measures to raise farmers’ incomes, expand high-value crops, strengthen animal husbandry and fisheries, and improve market access across regions.
Presenting the Budget in Parliament, Nirmala Sitharaman said the focus is on productivity enhancement, entrepreneurship and value addition, with special attention to small and marginal farmers and regions with untapped agricultural potential, including the Purvodaya states and the North-East.
Farm income and rural livelihoods
The Budget proposes integrated development of 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars to support irrigation and allied activities. In coastal regions, the fisheries value chain will be strengthened through improved infrastructure and market linkages involving start-ups, women-led groups and Fish Farmer Producer Organisations.
Animal husbandry has been identified as a key driver of farm income and rural employment. Support for the sector will include a credit-linked subsidy programme, scaling up and modernisation of livestock enterprises, development of integrated livestock, dairy and poultry value chains, and promotion of Livestock Farmer Producer Organisations.
High-value crops and plantations
The Budget places emphasis on high-value agriculture by promoting coconut, cocoa, cashew and sandalwood in coastal areas; agarwood in the North-East; and walnuts, almonds and pine nuts in hilly regions.
A Coconut Promotion Scheme has been announced to increase production and productivity through replacement of old and non-productive trees with improved planting material in major coconut-growing states. A dedicated programme for Indian cashew and cocoa aims to improve raw material availability, processing capacity and export competitiveness, with a target of strengthening India’s position in global markets by 2030.
Also Read: Union Budget 2026: Key Governance Updates and Policy Highlights
The government will also partner with states to promote focused cultivation and post-harvest processing to revive the Indian sandalwood ecosystem. Another dedicated programme will support rejuvenation of ageing orchards and expansion of high-density cultivation of walnuts, almonds and pine nuts, with value addition and youth participation as key components.
Digital support for farmers
The Budget proposes the launch of Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources), a multilingual AI-based platform integrating AgriStack portals and ICAR agricultural practice packages. The system is aimed at providing customised advisories, improving farm-level decision-making and reducing production risks.
Together, these measures position agriculture as a central pillar of the Budget’s third Kartavya, with a focus on income growth, diversification and technology-led support for farmers.
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