Agriculture, rural labour ignored in Union Budget 2026-27: AIKS

The All India Kisan Sabha AIKS on Sunday slammed the Union Budget, saying that agriculture was largely ignored by the Finance Minister in her speech. Agriculture was largely ignored by the Finance Minister in her budget speech small and marginal farmers were mentioned just once, while there was a conspicuous absence of any mention of rural labour.

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Sunday slammed the Union Budget, saying that agriculture was largely ignored by the Finance Minister in her speech. In a statement issued here, the AIKS said the Budget fails yet again to present any commitment towards the ''strategic regeneration of agriculture''. ''Agriculture was largely ignored by the Finance Minister in her budget speech; small and marginal farmers were mentioned just once, while there was a conspicuous absence of any mention of rural labour. The budgetary figures echo this neglect,'' AIKS said in a statement. It said that given this context of stagnation in the agriculture sector, it was expected that the Union Budget 2026-27 would deliver some ''relief and momentum''. ''But the Budget disappoints once again'', they said. ''The Budget fails in terms of providing any additional support to boost agriculture research and development. Despite the Finance Minister mentioning enhancing agriculture productivity as a kartavya, the budgetary allocation to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education has been reduced from Rs 10,281 crore Revised Estimate (RE) 2025-26 to Rs 9,967 crore (BE 2026-27),'' it said. ''The rhetoric on investing in cash crops continued even in this year's Budget. The speech underlined a focus on coconut, cocoa, cashew, nuts, and sandalwood. However, in reality, missions such as Cotton Technology Mission, Mission on Pulses, Hybrid Seeds, and Makhana Board, introduced in the past, find no mention in the budgetary figures,'' it said. The AIKS also said there was no mention of the MGNREGA scheme or even the newly passed VB-GRAMG scheme in the budget speech, which indicates the total dismissal of the significance of rural employment. Among the Agriculture and Allied sectors, the only significant budgetary allocation has been made under Animal Husbandry and Dairying, from Rs 5,303 crore (RE 2025-26) to Rs 6,135 crore, it added. ''However, here again the thrust has been on expansion of credit-infused veterinary hospitals, breeding in the private sector and garnering foreign investments,'' AIKS said. The AIKS also called upon the farmers, rural workers and the people at large to strongly protest against the Budget by burning copies in villages and tehsils on February 3 or any subsequent day. They also appealed to all to ensure the General Strike on February 12 is a great success.

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