Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 30 October 2026, said the Centre has spent around ₹16 lakh crore on fertiliser subsidies over the past several years to protect farmers from the impact of surging international fertiliser prices driven by global uncertainty. He made the announcement while addressing farmers at a national-level PM Kisan Utsav Diwas programme in Bhildi, Banaskantha district, Gujarat.

Key Announcement at PM Kisan Utsav Diwas

Speaking directly to the farming community, Modi said global disruptions had caused sharp spikes in fertiliser prices internationally, but the government had chosen to absorb those additional costs rather than pass them on to cultivators. 'Over the past few years, amid global uncertainty, fertiliser prices have risen sharply. But our government, which is dedicated to farmers, did not allow this burden to fall on them. The government has spent around Rs 16 lakh crore on this,' he said.

The Prime Minister explained that the subsidies are designed to ensure farmers can continue purchasing key fertilisers at prices well below their actual market cost — directly safeguarding agricultural production and keeping cultivation expenses in check.

Broader Agricultural Support: The Numbers

Modi placed the fertiliser figure within a wider accounting of the government's farm-sector spending. He said the agriculture budget had grown more than fivefold compared with 2013-14, and that farmers had received or saved more than ₹50 lakh crore through various government schemes and policy decisions over the years.

Among the key interventions he cited were direct income support through the PM-KISAN scheme, minimum support prices (MSP), crop insurance, and solar-powered irrigation. He also stated that more than ₹2 lakh crore had been paid to farmers as crop insurance compensation over the past 10–12 years, and that around 12 lakh solar pumps had been distributed under the PM-KUSUM scheme.

MSP and a Dig at Previous Governments

Modi also used the occasion to draw a sharp contrast with earlier administrations on the question of MSP. 'Earlier governments were also deceiving farmers on the issue of MSP. But it is our government that has fulfilled the promise of MSP. In the last 12 years, Rs 24 lakh crore has gone into the accounts of wheat and paddy farmers as MSP,' he said.

The remark reflects a recurring political message from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — that its tenure has represented a structural shift in how the state supports agricultural incomes, particularly on input costs and price guarantees. Critics, however, have in the past questioned whether MSP benefits reach the majority of small and marginal farmers who lack access to government procurement infrastructure.

Gujarat Visit and Other Inaugurations

The Prime Minister was in Gujarat for a two-day visit beginning Friday, with programmes spread across Banaskantha and Ekta Nagar. In Banaskantha, he also inaugurated the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC) and launched several projects linked to agriculture, animal husbandry, and infrastructure development in the region.

This comes amid a sustained government push to consolidate its rural and farmer-facing narrative ahead of upcoming state electoral cycles, with subsidy data and direct-benefit-transfer figures being prominently deployed at public events.