Crop Production Incentive Scheme
A per-acre production incentive open to all farmers — ₹10,000 an acre a year for paddy, with separate rates for millets, pulses, sugarcane and cotton.
Run by: Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of Puducherry
- Paddy
- ₹10,000 / acre / year (₹5,000 × 2 seasons)
- Sugarcane · Cotton
- ₹10,000 / acre each
- Millets · Pulses
- ₹5,000 / acre · ₹2,000 / acre
- Open to
- All categories of farmers
- Regions
- Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam (rates can differ)
Overview
Puducherry is a small UT that can afford to do something larger states cannot: pay a straight per-acre incentive for actually growing the crop, to every category of farmer rather than only the smallest. Its Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare lists it as the "Production Incentive" scheme. For paddy it works out to ₹5,000 an acre in each of the two seasons — Kuruvai/Sornavari and Samba/Thaladi — so ₹10,000 an acre across the year.
The incentive is not limited to rice. Millets carry ₹5,000 an acre, pulses ₹2,000 an acre, and sugarcane and cotton ₹10,000 an acre each. Because it is paid on the crop grown and is open to all categories, it functions as income support tied to real cultivation rather than a means-tested grant.
The scheme runs across the Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam regions through their respective Additional / Deputy Director of Agriculture offices. Some rates differ by region and by category — for example, in the Yanam region paddy and pulses have been paid at a higher rate for SC-category farmers — so confirm the current figure for your region and category with your regional agriculture office before you plan.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- ₹5,000 an acre for paddy in each of the two seasons — ₹10,000 an acre across the year.
- ₹10,000 an acre each for sugarcane and cotton as a production incentive.
- ₹5,000 an acre for millets and ₹2,000 an acre for pulses.
- Open to all categories of farmers, not restricted to small and marginal holdings.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Farmer cultivating in Puducherry
- Growing a crop covered by the incentive — paddy, millets, pulses, sugarcane or cotton
- Cultivation recorded with the Department of Agriculture for the season
- Bank account for the incentive transfer
Not covered
- Crops outside the notified incentive list
- Area not recorded as cultivated for the season
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Aadhaar card
- Land record / cultivation proof
- Bank passbook
- Season crop registration with the department
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Register the crop with the department
Record the crop and area with the Department of Agriculture for the season, so the incentive can be tied to actual cultivation.
- 2
Cultivate the covered crop
The incentive is paid on the crop grown — paddy per season, or millets, pulses, sugarcane or cotton at their notified rates.
- 3
Receive the per-acre incentive
On verification, the per-acre amount is transferred to your bank account for the recorded area.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- For an incentive not credited after the season, a wrongly recorded area, or a rate dispute, take it up with your regional agriculture office — the Additional Director of Agriculture (T&V) for Puducherry, the Additional Director for Karaikal, or the Deputy Director for Yanam — and the Directorate of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (0413-2336061 / 2336543 / 2336945, agri.pon@nic.in).
- If it stays unresolved, it can be raised at the District Collector's grievance cell or on CPGRAMS (pgportal.gov.in), the central grievance portal the UT routes grievances through.
Frequently asked questions
Is the incentive only for small farmers?
No. It is open to all categories of farmers in Puducherry, paid per acre on the crop actually grown.
How does paddy reach ₹10,000 an acre?
It is ₹5,000 an acre in each of the two paddy seasons — Kuruvai/Sornavari and Samba/Thaladi — which adds to ₹10,000 an acre for the year.
Which other crops are covered?
Millets at ₹5,000 an acre, pulses at ₹2,000 an acre, and sugarcane and cotton at ₹10,000 an acre each.
Are the rates the same in every region?
Mostly, but not always. Some rates differ in the Yanam region and by category — for instance, paddy and pulses have been paid at a higher rate for SC-category farmers there. Check the current figure for your region and category with your regional agriculture office.
What do I need to do to get it?
Record the crop and area you are cultivating with the Department of Agriculture for the season, keep a bank account for the transfer, and the per-acre amount is paid on verification of the recorded area.
Is this the same as the paddy MSP or procurement?
No. This is a production incentive paid per acre of the crop grown, separate from any MSP or government procurement of the grain — a farmer can get both.
Facts checked against agri.py.gov.in on 20 October 2026. editorial policy.