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Maharashtra Budget 2026-27 Focuses on Women Farmers, Green Energy & Loan Waivers

The Maharashtra budget for 2026-27, presented by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, introduces special incentive programs for women involved in livestock farming, aligning with the International Year of Women Farmers. Key financial measures include a farm loan waiver providing relief up to ₹2 lakh for eligible farmers and a ₹50,000 incentive for those regularly repaying loans. The budget also emphasizes technological adoption, planning to use AI and digital platforms to support farming and establish innovation centers at agricultural universities. With a total outlay of ₹7.69 lakh crore, the budget aims to foster a progressive, sustainable, and inclusive economy, targeting the creation of 25 lakh additional women entrepreneurs.

Key Points: Maharashtra Budget: Focus on Women Farmers, Loan Waivers & AI in Agri

  • Special incentives for women livestock farmers
  • Farm loan waiver up to ₹2 lakh
  • ₹50,000 incentive for regular loan repayers
  • AI & digital push in agriculture
  • Target of 25 lakh new women entrepreneurs
2 min read

"Special programs for women cowherds, poultry farmers...": Maharashtra CM Fadnavis on state Budget

Maharashtra CM Fadnavis announces budget with special schemes for women cowherds, poultry & goat farmers, farm loan waivers up to ₹2 lakh, and AI in agriculture.

"This year has been declared the International Year of Women Farmers. On this occasion, we will be implementing special incentive programs for women cowherds, poultry farmers and goat farmers. - Devendra Fadnavis"

New Delhi, March 6

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday emphasised that this year's state budget will have a special focus on women cowherds, poultry farmers, and goat farmers, underlining that this is the International Year of Women Farmers.

"This year has been declared the International Year of Women Farmers. On this occasion, we will be implementing special incentive programs for women cowherds, poultry farmers and goat farmers. For development. Energy self-reliance will be achieved by providing additional subsidy for installing root-of-solar on houses being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, urban and rural," he said.

Earlier, while presenting the state budget for 2026-27, Fadnavis also proposed an incentive of Rs 50,000 for farmers who have been regularly repaying their loans.

He also announced a farm loan waiver scheme under which eligible farmers with overdue crop loans will receive relief of up to Rs 2 lakh.

The state budget on Friday announced a range of initiatives focused on agriculture, infrastructure development, industry, social welfare and green energy as part of the government's vision for a "progressive, sustainable and inclusive" Maharashtra.

The state government said it will promote natural farming across five lakh hectares and strengthen agricultural value chains for 10 to 15 crops to improve access to global markets. It also plans to use artificial intelligence and digital platforms to support farming activities and establish AI innovation and incubation centres at four agricultural universities.

A number of initiatives were also announced for women's empowerment. The government said it will allocate significant funds for the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme and expand programmes aimed at creating more "Lakhpati Didis", with a target of creating 25 lakh additional women entrepreneurs in 2026-27.

According to the budget estimates, the total outlay for 2026-27 is pegged at Rs 7.69 lakh crore, with revenue receipts estimated at Rs 6.16 lakh crore and revenue expenditure at Rs 6.56 lakh crore.

The government said the budget aims to accelerate Maharashtra's journey towards becoming a one trillion-dollar economy in the coming years.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rajesh Q
Loan waiver of up to 2 lakh and incentives for regular repayment is a good dual approach. It rewards responsible farmers while providing relief to those in distress. The focus on AI in agriculture is the need of the hour for increasing yield.
A
Anjali F
While the schemes sound promising on paper, my concern is the actual ground-level delivery. We have seen many such announcements before. The budget outlay is huge, but will the benefits reach the actual women cowherd in a remote village of Vidarbha? I sincerely hope so.
S
Suresh O
Promoting natural farming across 5 lakh hectares is a visionary move. It will reduce input costs for farmers and produce healthier food. Combining this with solar power subsidies under PMAY shows a holistic vision for sustainable rural development. Good budget overall.
M
Michael C
Interesting to see the focus on women farmers and green energy. The target of 25 lakh new women entrepreneurs is ambitious. The success will depend on training, market access, and reducing bureaucratic hurdles. The AI centres at agri universities could be a game-changer if executed well.
K
Kavya N
As someone from a family of poultry farmers, this news brings hope. Women do most of the work in small-scale poultry and goat farming, but rarely get formal recognition or access to capital. Special incentives can empower them financially. Jai Maharashtra! 🙏

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