�� Plan allocation for agriculture increased by 300 per cent from 2003-04 to 2008-09.

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna launched in 2007-08 with an outlay of Rs.25,000

crore to increase growth rate of agriculture and allied sector to 4 per cent per annum

during Eleventh Plan period.

�� Agriculture credit disbursement increased three times from Rs.87,000 crore in

2003-04 to about Rs.2,50,000 crore in 2007-08.

�� To strengthen short-term cooperative credit structure, revival package in 25 states

involving financial assistance of about Rs.13,500 crore is being implemented.

�� Interest subvention to be continued in 2009-10 to ensure that farmers get short

term crop loans upto Rs.3 lakh at 7 per cent per annum.

�� The Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme, 2008 was implemented by

June 30, 2008 as scheduled. Debt waiver/debt relief amounting to Rs.65,300 crore

covers 3.6 crore farmers.

�� Despite higher procurement cost and higher international prices during the last 5

years, the central issue prices under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)

maintained at July, 2000 level in case of Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya

Anna Yojana (AAY) categories and at July, 2002 levels for Above Poverty Line

(APL) category.

�� Minimum Support Price (MSP) for common variety of paddy increased from Rs.550 per quintal in 2003-04 t