Lok Sabha Question No. 1145 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-24
Subject: Organic Nation
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1145

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  24 TH  JULY, 2018

## ORGANIC NATION

1145.  SHRIMATI RAKSHATAI KHADSE:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS WELFARE      ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  promote  organic  farming  through  cluster development mode to help the country to become a chemical-free Organic Nation;
- (b) if so, the details of the scheme offered to the farmers under cluster development; and
- (c) the criteria/norms formulated therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ Àã·¾ã ½ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) to (c): Yes, Government of India has been implementing  the schemes of Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Value chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER)   under National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) to promote organic farming in the country to become  a chemical free farming in the country. The detail of the schemes/ criteria/ norms is given at Annexure-I and II.

## Annexure-I

Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is the first comprehensive scheme launched as a Centrally Sponsored Programme (CSP) since 2015-16, which now has been revised for next 3 years. The scheme is implemented with a 90:10 (GoI: State Govt.) funding pattern in 8 NE states  and  3  hilly  states  of  J&  K,  Himachal  Pradesh,  and  Uttarakhand,  100%  in  Union Territory and 60:40 funding pattern in remaining states of the country. The new guidelines of the scheme has been uploaded in the website www.agricoop.nic.in/guidelines/integrated-nutrientmanagement

The scheme PKVY is implemented by the State Government on per hectare basis for 5001000 hectare area in each cluster. A group of farmers having a total area of 20 hectare as far as possible in contagious patch within a village. The farmer within a group can avail benefit to a maximum of 2 ha., and the limit of assistance is Rs.50, 000 per ha., out of which 62% i.e., Rs. 31,000 is given as incentives to a farmer for organic conversion, organic inputs, on farm inputs,  production  infrastructure,  etc.,  shall  be  provided  directly  through  DBT  during  the conversion period of 3 years. The target of an area of around 4 lacks ha is proposed to be covered in the 3 years which is double the area covered in last three years.

## Criteria of the scheme as per new guidelines

- A) For selection of areas/ Farmers' groups:
2.  Organic farming under PKVY will be promoted preferably in hilly, tribal and rain-fed areas.
3.  Cluster approach will be adopted in large patches of up to 1000 ha area in plan areas and 500 ha area in hilly areas.
4.  Cluster chosen shall be in contiguous patch, as far as possible, may be extending over few adjacent villages (but not over large areas in sparsely distributed villages).
5.  Formation  of  Gram  Panchayat  based  Farmer  Producer  Organizations  will  be encouraged or already existing FPOs will be promoted under the scheme
6.  In  a  cluster,  there  should  be  maximum  number  of  small  and  marginal  farmers. Women farmers/ SHGs should be given preference.
7.  Success  in  marketing  shall  be  one  of  the  key  components  taken  up  for  outcome evaluation along with other indicators such as soil health improvement, reduction in cost of cultivation etc.
- B)        The Norms for provision of fund:

Rs.10.00 lakh for 20 ha. (1 group) over a period of three years for different activities like-  Programme  implementation,  through  Support    agencies,  PGS  certification through  Regional  Council,  Incentives  to  farmers  through  DBT  and  Value  addition, Marketing, publicity in the revised  guidelines of PKVY .

- C) For allocation of funds to States:
2.  Timely  submission  of  quarterly  reports  on  financial  (fund  utilization/submission  of Utilization Certificates) and physical progress (area, crop details) reports.
3.  Effective  use  of  existing  FPOs  convergence  with  other  schemes,  adoption  of innovative value addition  and marketing strategies will be considered while

## Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region

Realizing the potential of organic farming in the North Eastern Region of the country, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched a Central Sector Scheme entitled 'Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region' for implementation in the  states  of  Arunachal  Pradesh, Assam,  Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, during 2015-16 to 2017-18. The scheme aims at development of certified organic production in a value chain mode to link growers with consumers and to support  the  development  of  entire  value  chain  starting  from  inputs,  seeds,  certification  and creation  of  facilities  for  collection,  aggregation,  processing,  marketing  and  brand  building initiative.  The  scheme  was  approved  with  an  outlay  of  Rs.  400  crore  for  three  years.  The guidelines of the scheme has been uploaded in the website www.agricoop.nic.in/guidelines/integrated-nutrient-management

The assistance is provided for cluster development, on/off farm input production, supply of seeds/ planting materials, setting up of functional infrastructure, establishment of integrated processing  unit, refrigerated transportation, pre-cooling  /cold  stores  chamber,  branding labeling  and  packaging,  hiring  of  space,  hand  holdings,  organic  certification  through  third party, mobilization of farmers/processors etc. Under this scheme, an area of 50,000 ha have been targeted to be covered under organic farming in North Eastern Region of the country during the period of three years i.e. from year 2015-16 to 2017-18.  The project is envisaged to empower  50000  farmers  of  North  East  Region  through  creation  of  100  farmers  Producer companies.

## Major components of MOVCDNER:

1.  Value Chain Production
2.  Value Chain Processing
3.  Value Chain Marketing
4.  Value Chain Support Agencies

## Annexure-II

## Criteria of the scheme

MOVCDNER empowers producer with programme ownerships by organizing them into Famers  Interested  Groups  (FIGs)  with  final  aims  to  federate  into  Farmers  Producers Organizations/ Companies developing end to end facilities for production, processing, storage and marketing.  In the scheme a group of farmers who are willing to grow/cultivate specific crop  will follow the ICS Management, documentation and organic certification, through PGS/ Third  Party  System    under    National  Programme  of  Organic    Production  (NPOP).    The scheme primary focus is to mobilize small and marginal farmers on the basis of commonality of produce. Initially farmers are mobilized into groups of 20 farmers each covering 20 ha area known  as  Farmers  Interest  Groups  (FIGs)  later    25    such  groups  are  formed  into  Farmer Producer Company.

********