Lok Sabha Question No. 3972 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-20
Subject: Scientific Cultivation
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: S.P. MUDDAHANUMEGOWDA

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3972

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  MARCH, 2018

## SCIENTIFIC CULTIVATION

3972.   SHRI S.P. MUDDAHANUME GOWDA:

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

- (a) whether the Government has made several announcements to promote the agriculture sector and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has provided training to farmers for scientific cultivation and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the farmers have been informed about the said training programme across the country including Karnataka and 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 PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a): To promote the agriculture sector the Government has announced a number of initiatives in  the  Union  Budget  2018-19 for  the  welfare  of  the  farmers.  The  details  of  the  initiatives  are Annexed. The Department is also implementing various schemes to promote the agriculture sector  viz.  Soil  Health  Card  (SHC)  scheme,  Neem  Coated  Urea,  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana  (PMKSY), National Agriculture  Market Scheme (e-NAM), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Interest Subvention Scheme etc.

Further,  the  Government  is  targeting  to  double  the  income  of  the  farmers  by  the  year 2022.  To achieve this, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare has constituted  an  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  to  examine  various  dimensions  of  farmers'  income and to recommend an appropriate strategy.  In the meanwhile,  the Government is aiming to reorient  the  agriculture  sector  by  focusing  on  an  income-centeredness  in  addition  to  pure production centeredness approach.

- (b) & (c): The  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers'  Welfare  (DAC&FW) has taken up several initiatives in the field of agricultural extension all over the country including in Karnataka which include
- (i) 'Support  to  State  Extension  Programmes  for  Extension  Reforms',  which  is popularly known as the ATMA Scheme, Mass Media Support to Agricultural Extension and Kisan Call Centres.  In order to enhance physical outreach of extension personnel for their direct interface with the farmers, financial support for specialists and functionaries  down  to  the  block  level  has  been  provided.  The  key  objectives  of  ATMA scheme  include   setting  up   of  autonomous  institutions   at  the State/ District/ Block

level,  encouraging  multi-agency  and  broad-based  extension  strategies  adopting  group approach to extension and facilitating convergence of programmes  in  planning, executing and implementation. Under Mass Media scheme, the Government is educating farmers through display of exhibits for know-how on new tools and technology, creating awareness about schemes, programmes/ activities being implemented for benefiting and helping  farmers.    Farmers'  education/  awareness  programmes  are  being  implemented through agriculture fairs, exhibitions and use of print, electronic media like radio, TV and social  media  platforms,  etc.  Under  Kisan  Call  Centre  (KCC)  scheme,  farmers'  queries are answered on a telephone call in their own dialect between 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM on all  seven  days.    Presently  these  call  centres  are  working  in  14  different  locations covering all the States and UTs.  A Toll Free No.1800-180-1551 has been allotted for this purpose.

(ii)  Kisan  Suvidha  Mobile  App  has  been  launched  by  the  Government  which  provides information  to  farmers  on  weather,  plant  protection,  input  dealers,  agro-advisory  and marketing.  Besides,  Pusa  Krishi  Mobile  App,  Agri-Market  App  and  Crop  Insurance Mobile App have also been launched for the benefit of farmers.

(iii)  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  has  established  a  network  of  680 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the country with mandate of Technology Assessment and Demonstration for its Application and Capacity Development.  A number of activities viz. on-farm  trials, front-line  demonstrations, creation  of  awareness  on  improved agricultural technologies, etc. are conducted by KVKs for the benefit of farmers.

## Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3972 due for 20.03.2018 Statement in respect  of Part (a) of the Question  regarding 'Scientific Cultivation'

|   S.N. | Budget Announcement                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|--------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      1 | MSP for all unannounced Kharif Crops to be 1.5 time to the cost of production                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|      2 | NITI Aayog, in consultation with Central and State Governments, will put in place a fool- proof mechanism so that farmers get adequate price for their produce.                                                                                                                                                                        |
|      3 | Government will create an institutional mechanism, with participation of all concerned Ministries, to develop appropriate policies and practices for price and demand forecast, use of futures and options market, expansion of warehouse depository system and to take decisions about specific exports and imports related measures. |
|      4 | Government will develop and upgrade existing 22000 Rural haats into Gramin Agricultural Markets                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|      5 | Creation of Agri Market Infrastructure fund with a corpus of Rs. 2000 crore                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|      6 | Our districts can specialize in some or other agricultural produce and be known for it. There is a need to develop cluster based model in a scientific manner for identified agriculture produces                                                                                                                                      |
|      7 | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare will reorient its ongoing Schemes and promote cluster based development of agri-commodities and regions in partnership with the Ministries of Food Processing, Commerce and other allied Ministries.                                                                                        |
|      8 | Organic farming by Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Village Producers' Organizations (VPOs) in large clusters, preferably of 1000 hectares each, will be encouraged                                                                                                                                                            |
|      9 | Our ecology supports cultivation of highly specialized medicinal and aromatic plants. Our Government shall support organized cultivation and associated industry. I propose to allocate a sum of Rs. 200 crore for this purpose.                                                                                                       |
|     10 | ''Operation Greens'' shall promote Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional management. I propose to allocate a sum of Rs. 500 crore for this purpose. (To facilitate connectivity between farmers and consumers to ensure availability of tomato, onion and potato).             |
|     11 | We removed bamboo grown outside forest areas from the definition of trees. Now, I propose to launch a Re-structured National Bamboo Mission with an outlay of Rs.1290 crore to promote bamboo sector in a holistic manner.                                                                                                             |
|     12 | Government of India will take necessary measures and encourage State Governments to put in place a mechanism that their (farmers') surplus solar power is purchased by the distribution companies or licencees at reasonably remunerative rates.                                                                                       |
|     13 | Institutional credit for agriculture propose to raise this to Rs. 11 lakh crore for the year 2018-19.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|     14 | NITI Aayog, in consultation with State Governments, will evolve a suitable mechanism to enable access of lessee cultivators to credit without compromising the rights of the land owners.                                                                                                                                              |
|     15 | Government will extend a favourable taxation treatment to Farmer Producers Organisations (FPOs) for helping farmers aggregate their needs of inputs, farm services, processing and sale operations.                                                                                                                                    |
|     16 | A special Scheme will be implemented to support the efforts of the governments of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi to address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required for in-situ management of crop residue.                                                                                             |

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