New Delhi: Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday unveiled a wide-ranging package for the livestock, fisheries and high-value agriculture sectors in the Union Budget 2026–27, allocating Rs 1,62,671 crore for agriculture and allied activities. This marks a 7.12 per cent increase over the revised estimate of Rs 1,51,853 crore for 2025–26.
Presenting her ninth consecutive Budget, Sitharaman said the government’s vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas is aligned with the goal of building a Viksit Bharat, with a renewed focus on diversifying rural livelihoods and reducing dependence on traditional crop farming. “Targeted efforts are required to raise farmer incomes through productivity enhancement and entrepreneurship, with special attention to small and marginal farmers,” she said.
A key announcement was the launch of a multilingual artificial intelligence-based platform, Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources), with an allocation of Rs 150 crore. The platform will integrate AgriStack portals and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) databases with AI systems to provide customised advisory services and boost farm productivity.
However, the Budget document showed no allocation for the Cotton Technology Mission and the 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 subsumed under the Krishnionnati Yojana with an allocation of Rs 700 crore. The Makhana Board has been restructured as a central scheme for the development of makhana in Bihar and other states, with Rs 90 crore allocated. PM-KISAN received Rs 63,500 crore, while funding for agricultural research and education was reduced by 3 per cent to Rs 9,964.40 crore.
In a significant move for the marine sector, the Budget imposed zero customs duty on fish caught by Indian vessels in exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and on the high seas. Fish landed at foreign ports will be treated as exports, with safeguards proposed to prevent misuse during catch, transit and trans-shipment. The value limit for duty-free imports of specified inputs has also been raised from 1 per cent to 3 per cent of the FOB value of seafood exports in the previous financial year.
For inland fisheries, the government announced plans to develop 500 reservoirs and Amrit Sarovars, while strengthening value chains in coastal areas through startups, women-led groups and Fish Farmers Producer Organisations. Allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana has been increased to Rs 2,500 crore from Rs 1,500 crore.
Highlighting that livestock contributes nearly 16 per cent of farm income, especially for small and marginal households, Sitharaman proposed a loan-linked capital subsidy scheme to add over 20,000 veterinary professionals.
The Budget earmarked Rs 350 crore to promote high-value crops such as coconut, sandalwood, cocoa and cashew in coastal regions; agarwood in the Northeast; and almonds, walnuts and pine nuts in hilly areas. A new coconut promotion scheme will replace old trees with improved varieties. India, the world’s largest coconut producer, supports nearly 30 million livelihoods linked to the crop.
Dedicated programmes for cashew and cocoa aim to make India self-reliant in production and processing, while enhancing export competitiveness by 2030. The government will also partner with states to revive sandalwood cultivation and processing. For hill states, measures include rejuvenating old orchards and expanding high-density plantations. Tax Collection at Source on tendu leaves has been reduced to 2 per cent.
The Budget document underlined that improving income certainty, easing cash-flow pressures and aligning taxation with ground realities are crucial for strengthening India’s agricultural and marine economy.