Lok Sabha Question No. 3673 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-10
Subject: Crop Diversification
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sushil Kumar Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3673

TO BE ANSWER ON THE 10 TH AUGUST, 2021

## CROP DIVERSIFICATION

3673. SHRISUSHIL KUMAR SINGH:

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

- (a) the  list  of  10  major  priorities  areas  for  the  Government  for  development  of agriculture in the next ten years;
- (b) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to promote crop diversification in the 'Green Revolution States';

(c) whether  there  are  any  proposals  for  roping  in  Artificial  Intelligence  (AI)  for agricultural development in the country;

- (d) if  so, the details thereof along with the Government's action plan for roping in AI; and
- (e) the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  that  agriculture  is  less resource-intensive and is sustainable (i.e. low water use, prevention of land degradation and desertification)?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) : The strategies outlined in the National Sustainable Agriculture Mission Document aim  at  promoting  sustainable  agriculture  through  a  series  of  adaptation  measures focusing on 10 key dimensions encompassing Indian agriculture namely;(i) improved crop seeds,  livestock  and  fish  culture,  (ii)  water  use  efficiency,  (iii)  pest  management,  (iv) improved farm practices, (v) nutrient management, (vi) agricultural insurance, (vii) credit support, (viii) markets, (ix) access to information and (x) livelihood diversification.

Government has given priority to several other areas for agricultural development under  various  schemes  including  Agriculture  Infrastructure  Fund  (AIF)  to  provide  a medium-long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management  infrastructure  and  community  farming  assets  through  interest  subvention and financial support; Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY)  to  focus  on  enhancing  water  use  efficiency  at  farm  level through Micro Irrigation; Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) Scheme to encourage tree plantation  on  farm  land  along  with  crops/  cropping  system  to  help  the  farmers  get additional income and make their farming system more climate resilient and adaptive.

(b) : The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing the Crop Diversification Programme (CDP), a sub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) in the  Original  Green  Revolution  States  viz;  Haryana,  Punjab  & Western  Uttar Pradesh  since  2013-14  to  divert  the  area  of  water  intensive  paddy  crop  to  alternative crops  like  pulses,  oilseeds,  coarse  cereals,  nutri  cereals,  cotton  etc.  Efforts  of  state governments are also supplemented to encourage diversified production of horticultural crops under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and state specific needs/priorities under RKVY.

(c) & (d): In  line  with  the  recommendation  of  Doubling  Farmers  Income  Committee, the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A) has  been  amended  to  include  funding  of  proposals  received  from  States  &Union Territories  (UTs)  for  projects  involving  use  of  new  &  emerging  technologies  including Artificial Intelligence (AI). Government has also entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various private sector entities for developing Proof of Concepts (PoCs) for development of Services & Solutions based on Federated Farmers Database, some of which to use Artificial Intelligence.

(e): For  promoting  sustainable  agriculture,  Soil  Health  Cards  are  issued  to  provide nutrient status of the soil and recommendation on appropriate usages for improving soil health  and  fertility.    Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY)-Per  Drop  More Crop  (PDMC)  focuses  on  water  use  efficiency  at  farm  level  through  precision/Micro Irrigation (Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation). Besides, promoting precision irrigation and better on farm water management practices to optimize the use of available water resources, the component  also  supports  micro  level water storage or water conservation / management activities  to  supplement  source  creation.  In  addition,  Direct  Seeded  Rice (DSR), System of Rice Intensification (SRI), raised bed sowing, alternate furrow irrigation, mulching, alternate wetting & drying method, laser land leveling, adoption of less water requiring  crops/varieties,  efficient  water  application  tools  are  being  promoted.  The Government  has  launched  several  scheme/programme  which  include  inter-alia  the National Afforestation Programme, Green India Mission,  Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) which contribute to the target  of  restoration  of  26  million  hectares  of  degraded  land  and  achievement  of degradation neutrality with focus on sustainable  and optimum  utilization of land resources.

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