Lok Sabha Question No. 5770 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: Advantages of Space Technology in Agriculture and Allied Sectors
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: K. GOPAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5770

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 3 RD   APRIL, 2018

## ADVANTAGES OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED SECTORS

5770.  DR. K. GOPAL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is considering to launch a nationwide programme to harvest the advantages of space technology in agriculture and allied sectors and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is also considering to set up seed production and processing units at panchayat levels and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether it is true that the Government is considering to increase cropping intensity by 1 million hectares per year through the utilization of rice fallow areas for pulses and oil seeds and consolidation of online trading and inter marketing transactions among others; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a): Yes,  Madam.  The  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  &  Farmers  Welfare  is proposing a nationwide programme called National Programme on use of Space Technology for Agriculture  (NPSTA) to  harvest  the  advantages  of  space  technology  in  agriculture  and  allied sectors. This programme has four sub-programmes viz. (i) Crop Assessment & Monitoring; (ii) Agricultural Resources Management;    (iii) Disaster Monitoring and Mitigation and (iv) Communication and Navigation Applications.
- (b): For setting up of 300 new Seed production, processing cum seed storage godown units of 500 metric tons capacity each @ Rs.60.00 lakh each at Gram Panchayat level in the country, an amount of Rs.180 crore has been released to States during 2017-18.
- (c) & (d): A project to cover 4.5 million hectare rice fallow area @ 1.5 million hectare area per year under oilseeds and pulses for 3 years i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20 in the six eastern states namely Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal is under implementation.   To increase production and productivity of oilseed crops through an integrated and  comprehensive  approach,  National  Mission  on  Oilseeds  and  Oil  Palm  (NMOOP)  is  also being  implemented  from  the  year  2014-15  in  the  major  oilseeds  growing  States.  Further,  to develop  Common  Agriculture  Market,  the  Government  has  launched  National  Agriculture Market (eNAM) project on 14.04.2016. 585 regulated markets across the country have been integrated  with  e-NAM.  The  e-NAM  would  facilitate  farmers  for  on-line  trading  of  their agricultural produce in any market integrated to the portal, and due to online competitive bidding method for price discovery, helps them to get remunerative price for their agri-produce.

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