New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday unveiled a comprehensive package for the livestock, fisheries and high-value agriculture sectors in Budget 2026-27, with a total allocation of Rs 1,62,671 crore for agriculture and allied activities — a 7.12 per cent increase from the revised estimate of Rs 1,51,853 crore for 2025-26.

The Budget seeks to reduce dependence on traditional crop farming by diversifying rural livelihood options and creating employment opportunities beyond conventional agriculture.

Presenting her ninth consecutive Budget, Sitharaman said the government aligns its vision of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' towards Viksit Bharat.

"This requires targeted efforts for increasing farmer incomes through productivity enhancement and entrepreneurship, with special attention to small and marginal farmers," she said, announcing a slew of measures to diversify rural incomes and create employment opportunities beyond traditional farming.

------------------------------------ AI-POWERED FARM ADVISORY The government announced a multilingual Artificial Intelligence tool called 'Bharat-VISTAAR' (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) with Rs 150 crore allocation. The tool will integrate AgriStack portals and the ICAR package on agricultural practices with AI systems to enhance farm productivity and provide customised advisory support to farmers.

The Budget document shows no allocation for the Cotton Technology Mission and National Mission for Hybrid Seeds for 2026-27 — both announced in the previous budget but yet to be implemented. The Mission for Vegetables and Fruits has been merged under Krishnionnati Yojana with Rs 700 crore allocation.

The Makhana Board has been renamed as a central scheme for development of Makhana in Bihar and other states with Rs 90 crore allocation. PM-KISAN received Rs 63,500 crore allocation, while funding for agri-research and education was reduced 3 per cent to Rs 9,964.40 crore.

------------------------------------ ZERO DUTY ON MARINE CATCH The Budget imposed nil duty on fish caught in exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and high seas by Indian vessels. Landing such fish at foreign ports will be treated as export of goods, with safeguards to prevent misuse during fish catch, transit and transhipment.

The value limit of duty-free imports of specified inputs has been increased from 1 to 3 PER CENT of the FOB value of seafood products exported during the preceding financial year.

------------------------------------- 500 RESERVOIRS FOR INLAND FISHERIES For inland fisheries, the government will develop 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars and strengthen the value chain in coastal areas through startups, women-led groups and Fish Farmers Producer Organisations. Allocation for Pradhan Mantri Sampada Yojana increased to Rs 2,500 crore from Rs 1,500 crore.

------------------------------------- VETERINARY SECTOR BOOST Pointing out that livestock contributes close to 16 per cent of farm income, including for poor and marginal households, Sitharaman proposed a loan-linked capital subsidy scheme to scale up the availability of veterinary professionals by more than 20,000. The scheme will support the establishment of veterinary and paravet (para-veterinary) colleges, veterinary hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and breeding facilities in the private sector.

--------------------------------- HIGH-VALUE CROPS PUSH The government allocated Rs 350 crore for supporting high-value crops including coconut, sandalwood, cocoa and cashew in coastal areas, agar trees in the North East, and almonds, walnuts and pine nuts in hilly regions.

A coconut promotion scheme will replace old trees with new varieties in major producing states. About 30 million people, including 10 million farmers, depend on coconuts for livelihood, with India being the world's largest producer.

Dedicated programmes for cashew and cocoa aim to make India self-reliant in production and processing, while enhancing export competitiveness to transform them into premium global brands by 2030.

The government will partner with states to promote sandalwood cultivation and post-harvest processing "to restore the glory of the Indian Sandalwood ecosystem". For hilly regions, programmes will support rejuvenation of old orchards and expansion of high-density cultivation of walnuts, almonds and pine nuts. Tax Collection at Source (TCS) for Tendu leaves reduced to 2 per cent.

"If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have a chance to go right," the budget document stated, emphasizing that measures will enhance income certainty, ease cash-flow pressures, and create a tax-trade ecosystem reflecting operational realities of India's agricultural and marine sectors.

--------------------------------- AGRI MINISTER HAILS BUDGET Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said it is an "historic and unprecedented budget, laying a strong foundation for a developed India and a self-reliant India." "This Budget is an epic achievement of the dream of a developed India. It is a Budget for the prosperity of society and the fulfillment of resolutions – it is a dynamic budget for a developed India," he said. This Budget is writing a new chapter in bringing revolutionary changes in the lives of these four communities – farmers, youth, women, and the poor, he added. PTI LUX LUX DR DR