Lok Sabha Question No. 2211 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-14
Subject: Spreading Awareness  among the Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Jagannath Sarkar

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

## L O K   S A B H A UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2211

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 14 th  MARCH, 2023

## SPREADING AWARENESS AMONG THE FARMERS

## 2211.  SHRI JAGANNATH SARKAR

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

- (a) Whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  spread  awareness  among  the farmers about integrating modern agricultural technology in farming;
- (b) If so, the details thereof and if not, the reason therefor;
- (c) Whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  study  highlighting  the  benefits  of digitalisation of agriculture in helping to increase productivity and cut losses; and
- (d) If so, the details thereof and if not the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a)  & (b): Government  has  taken  various  initiatives  to  spread  awareness  among farmers about latest & modern agriculture technology in farming, which are given below:-
1.  Agriculture Extension Division is implementing schemes with the objective to strengthen the agricultural extension machinery. The major Schemes and Programmes are as under:
- i)        Support  to  State  Extension  Programmes  for  Extension  Reforms  (ATMA)  is  a Centrally Sponsored scheme which aims to make available the latest & modern agricultural  technologies  in  different  thematic  areas  to  increase  agricultural production  through  extension  activities  viz.  Farmers  Training,  Demonstrations, Exposure Visits, Kisan Mela, Mobilization of Farmers Groups and Setting up of Farm Schools.
- ii)      Mass Media Support to Agriculture Extension aims to create awareness/publicity of schemes/missions/ government new initiatives/ advisories /modern technologies  related  to  agriculture  and  allied  sector  for  the  welfare  of  farming community through Electronic Media, Print Media & Social Media.
- iii)       The Kisan Call Centre (KCC) scheme aims to provide answer to farmers' queries on  agriculture  and  allied  sectors  including  latest  and  modern  technologies through  Toll  Free  Number  -  1800-180-1551.  The  replies  to  the  queries  of  the farming community are given in 22 local languages from 17 locations across the country.
- iv)        Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres (AC&ABC) Scheme aims to supplement the efforts of public extension through creating gainful self-employment opportunities  for  unemployed  candidates  possessing  qualification  in  agriculture and allied subjects for dissemination of information in latest & modern agricultural technologies.
- v)       Four  Extension  Education  Institutes(EEIs)  established  on  regional  basis  at Nilokheri (Haryana); Hyderabad  (Telangana); Anand  (Gujarat) and Jorhat (Assam) to cater to the training needs of middle-level field extension functionaries working under agriculture and allied departments of States/UTs of respective regions to equip them  with information  on  latest  and  modern technology for dissemination to the farmers.
- vi)       Short  duration  Skill  Training  (7  days)  of  Rural  Youth  (STRY)  scheme  imparts short  term  skill  training  to  rural  youths  and  farmers  on  latest  &  modern technology on agriculture and allied areas. The National Institute of Agricultural Extension  Management  (MANAGE)  is  implementing  STRY  across  the  country through State Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institutes (SAMETIs), ATMA and Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
- vii)      Diploma  in  Agricultural  Extension  Services  for  Input  Dealers  (DAESI)  is  of  one year  (expanded  to  48  weeks)  regular  course  with  an  objective  to  impart education in agriculture and other allied areas to the Input Dealers so that they can establish linkage to their business with extension services including information  on  latest  &  modern  technology,  besides  discharging  regulatory responsibilities enjoined on them.
- viii) Skill Training Courses in agriculture and allied areas of minimum of 200 hrs for rural  youth  and  farmers  are  conducted  through  the  wide  network  of  training institutes to create a pool of skilled  manpower  and promote wage/self employment among rural youth and farmers.
- ix)      The  Extension Division is participating/supporting/organising the exhibition/ fairs/ seminars/  conference  etc.  at  the  different  levels  in  the  country  for  showcasing latest & modern technological advancements and dissemination of information to the farming community  and  also for promoting business opportunities in agriculture and allied sectors. The Division also supports five Regional Agricultural fairs - one in each Region every year.
2. Government has finalized the core concept of India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA)  framework  which  would  lay  down  the  architecture  for  the  federated  farmers' database.  Further,  the  databases  related  to  the  schemes  governed  by  the  Department have  been  integrated.  The  IDEA  would  serve  as  a  foundation  to  build  innovative  agrifocused solutions leveraging emerging technologies to contribute effectively in creating a better Ecosystem for Agriculture in India. This Ecosystem would help the Government in effective planning towards increasing the income of farmers in particular and improving the efficiency of the Agriculture sector as a whole.
3. Under  plan  scheme  viz.  National  e-Governance  Plan  in  Agriculture  (NeGP-A) wherein,  funds  are  released  to  the  State(s)/UT(s)  for  projects  involving  use  of  modern technologies viz. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Drones, Data Analytics, Block Chain etc.
4. Sub  Mission  on  Agricultural  Mechanization  (SMAM)  is  being  implemented  w.e.f April,2014.The  scheme  aims  at  'reaching  the  unreached'  by  bringing  to  the  small  and marginal farmers in the core and giving the benefits of farm mechanization, by Promoting 'Custom  Hiring  Centers', creating hubs  for hi-tech  &  high  value  farm  equipments, distribution  of  various  agricultural  equipments,  creating  awareness  among  stakeholders through demonstration and capacity building activities, and ensuring performance - testing and certification at designated testing centers located all over the country.
5. National  Agriculture  Market  (e-NAM)  is  a  pan-India  electronic  trading  portal  which networks the existing Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. Digital services are provided to traders, farmers,  Farmers  Producer  Organizations  (FPO),  Mandis  through  various  modules  of  eNAM platform such as FPO trading module, warehouse based trading module.
6. Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing schemes (AGMARKNET) to promote creation  of  agricultural  marketing  infrastructure  by  providing  backend  subsidy  support  to State, cooperative and private sector investments Services are provided through (AGMARKNET)  portal  which  is  a  G2C  e-governance  portal  that  caters  to  the  needs  of various stakeholders such as farmers, industry, policy makers and academic institutions by providing agricultural marketing related information from a single window. It facilitates webbased information flow, of the daily arrivals and prices of commodities in the agricultural produce markets spread across the country.
7. Development  of  Kisan  Suvidha  mobile  application  to  facilitate  dissemination  of information  to  farmers  on  the  critical  parameters  viz.,  Weather;  Market  Prices;  Plant Protection; Input Dealers (Seed, Pesticide, Fertilizer); Farm Machinery; Soil Health Card; Cold  Storages  &  Godowns,  Veterinary  Centres  and  Diagnostic  Labs.  With  market information, farmers are better informed about markets to sell produce, prevailing market prices and quantity demanded in the market. Thus, they can make informed decisions to sell produce at the right price and right time.
8. The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has also compiled more than 100 mobile apps developed by ICAR, State Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras and  uploaded  on  its  website.  These  mobile  apps  developed  in  the  areas  of  crops, horticulture, veterinary, dairy, poultry, fisheries,  natural  resources  management  and integrated  subjects,  offer  valuable  information  to  the  farmers,  including  package  of practices,  market  prices  of  various  commodities,  weather  related  information,  advisory services, etc.
9. Agriculture  Infrastructure  Fund  (AIF)  is  implemented  for  creating  post  harvest management infrastructure and community farming  assets to help enhanced productivity and minimize post harvest losses. The primary processing centers and sorting and grading units  established under the  scheme is helping farmers to realize 20-25% better price for their  produce.  Custom  Hiring  Centers  and  projects  of  smart  and  precision  farming infrastructure  established  under  the  scheme  is  contributing  towards  pacing  up  the  farm mechanization and technology adoption in agriculture sector and also helping in boosting productivity.
10.          Government  is  providing  advisory  services  on  various  crop  related  matter  to  the registered farmers through SMSs.
- (c) & (d): The  Committee  on  Doubling  Farmers'  Income  (DFI)  in  its  Report  has appreciated the role of Digital Agricultural Technology, which can play a transformational role  in  modernizing  and  organizing  how  rural  India  performs  its  agricultural  activities. Digital  technologies  are  finding  increasing  use  in  the  agricultural  value  system,  and farmers  are  increasingly  becoming  more  informed,  as  various  measures  are  taken  to provide them ready access to technology and information which have got a direct impact in enhancing productivity and minimize post harvest losses.

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