Lok Sabha Question No. 3435 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-16
Subject: Control of Krishi Vigyan Kendras
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Arvind Ganpat Sawant, C.N. Annadurai, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Dhanush M Kumar, Ganesan Selvam, Gautham Sigamani Pon

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3435

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 16/03/2021

## CONTROL OF KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRAS

3435.  SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR:

SHRI SELVAM G.:

SHRI GAUTHAM SIGAMANI PON:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

(a) the  number  of  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  under  the  control  of  State  Governments, ICAR, NGOs and agricultural universities respectively;

- (b) the  details  of  the  feedback  received  by  the  Government  on  functioning  of  Krishi  Vigyan Kendra's (KVKs) in various States of the country including Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu and the details of the role envisaged for KVKs in agricultural growth and development;
- (c) whether there is any proposal with the Government to integrate all the KVKs of the country including those in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu online and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the achievements made by these centres during the last two years and the current year; and
- (e) the  reasons  for  not  setting  up  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  in  the  remaining  districts  even  after approval of the same and the time by which the said centres are likely to be set up in the remaining districts?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) There  are  723  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  in  the  country.  Out  of  723  KVKs,  38  are under the administrative control of State Governments, 66 under ICAR Institutes, 104 under NGOs, 474  under  State  Agricultural  Universities,  22  under  Central  Agricultural  Universities,  3  under Central  Universities,  8  under  Deemed  Universities,  3  under  PSUs,  and  5  under  other  educational institutions.
- (b) Third Party evaluation of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) has been carried out by National Institute  of  Labour  Economics  Research  and  Development  (NILERD),  an  autonomous  institute under NITI Aayog 2015. The major observations and findings of this evaluation are as follows:-
- It was observed that KVKs are playing proactive role in transferring new technology at field level with beneficial impacts.

- The KVKs have an edge in technology transfer over other service providers by virtue of having better technical expertise and demonstration abilities.
- About  40  percent  farmers  reported  that  they  implemented  the  technology  immediately  after  its dissemination by KVK and that 25 percent did so from the next agricultural season.
- On an average a KVK covers 43 villages and 4300 farmers per year. 80% of villages covered are 10 km away from KVK.
- 96% farmers' requests were attended by KVKs.
- 42% technologies adopted by farmers resulted in higher productivity, 33% resulted in high harvest income and 20% resulted in drudgery reduction.
- About 25% of persons trained started self-employment ventures.

Besides, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) evaluated the KVKs in 2019. The major findings of Study on KVK by IFPRI are as follows:

- KVKs' efforts generated an additional net farm income of Rs. 3568 per hectare.
- Cost Benefit ratio is 1:7.8. Thus, the rate of return on expenditure on KVK is very high.
- One farmer trained by a KVK disseminates technology/knowledge to 30 fellow farmers.

As regards role of KVKs, these grass root level scientific organizations are mandated with technology assessment and demonstration for its application and capacity development of farmers and  extension  personnel.  Besides,  KVKs  also  produce  quality  seeds  and  planting  materials;  and provide diagnostic and advisory services to the farmers for adoption of good agricultural practices.

(c) Yes Sir, KVK Portal has been developed to integrate all the KVKs of the country including those in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu for online monitoring, management, information and advice of KVKs and to disseminate useful knowledge and technologies to farmers.

(d) During the last two years and the current year, the KVKs conducted 1.12 lakh on farm trials and 7.35 lakh frontline demonstrations on the farmers' fields; upgraded the knowledge and skill of 46.09  lakh  farmers  and  3.88  lakh  extension  personnel;  conducted  large  number  of  extension activities    with  the  participation  of  725.54  lakh  farmers;  produced  5.48  lakh  quintal  seeds  of improved varieties of different field crops, 1150.53 lakh quality planting materials of elite species of different horticultural crops and 680.79 lakh fingerlings and other livestock strains and provided to farmers. The KVKs also tested 18.30 lakh Soil, water, plant, manures samples of the farmers and provided  advisories  accordingly.  For  providing  timely  and  need  based  information  on  weather, market, various farm operations, outbreak of pest and disease incidence and their control measures, etc. to farming community, 8120.27 lakh messages were sent on farmers' mobile.

(e) Out of total rural districts in the country, 636 districts are covered by KVKs. Since the States create new districts on the basis of their need, on the creation of new districts, steps are taken by the Department  to  set  up  KVKs.  Accordingly,  Government  approved  setting  up  of  76  KVKs  in  the country under three-year Plan (2017-2020) out of which 54 KVKs have been set-up. Lack of receipt of  application  for  establishment  of  new  KVKs  from  organizations  having  suitable  site  for establishment of KVKs is the reason for not setting up of these KVKs so far.

Setting  up  of  KVKs  depend  on  the  availability  of  suitable  cultivable  land  in  the  name  of proposing Government or its related host organizations. However, to expedite the process, the ICAR has constituted site selection committees for identifying the suitable land for setting up of remaining 22 KVKs.

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