Lok Sabha Question No. 1429 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-26
Subject: Skill Development of Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Hemant Patil, Ramcharan Bohra

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1429 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH  JULY, 2022

## SKILL DEVELOPMENT OF FARMERS

## 1429 SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL: SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA;

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

- (a) the details of schemes being implemented to promote skill development among farmers in agriculture and allied sectors;
- (b) the funds allocated for and spent under the above schemes during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (c) the details of the proposed initiatives to enhance the capacity of the farmers; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to educate the farmers the key skills regarding agriexport to make them partners in export of agri products?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) : The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing various schemes to promote Skill Development among farmers in agriculture and allied sectors. These schemes have an in-built component of training to impart skills to the farmers on technological advancements related to agriculture and allied sectors, the details of which are given below :-

- i. Support to State Extension  Programme for  Extension  Reforms  (ATMA) :  ATMA scheme is under implementation in 704 Districts of 28 States and 05 UTs in the country, which promotes decentralized and demand driven extension system in the country. The objective of the scheme is to supplement to the State Government efforts to upgrade the knowledge  and  skills  of  farmers  on  latest  agriculture  technologies  for  their  capacity building  in  agriculture  and  allied  sectors.  The  activities  under  ATMA  include  farmers

training, demonstrations, exposure visits, kisan mela, mobilization of farmers groups and organising farm schools, etc.

- ii. Skill Training of Rural Youth (STRY) : The STRY under 'Sub Mission on Agriculture Extension' aims to impart short-term skill training of 7 days (15 trainees per batch) to the rural  youth  and  farmers  on  thrust  areas  in  agriculture  and  allied  sectors.  The  National Institute  of  Agricultural  Extension  Management  (MANAGE),  Hyderabad  is  the  nodal agency for implementation of skill trainings through wide network of training institutes, across the country viz. Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), State Agricultural Management and  Extension  Training  Institutes  (SAMETIs),  State  Agricultural  Universities  (SAUs), etc. The major areas of skill trainings include mushroom production, bee-keeping, microirrigation,  maintenance  and  repair  of  farm  equipments,  nursery management,  organic grower, vermi-compost production, animal husbandry, dairying, poultry, fishery, etc.
- iii. Skill  Training  (Minimum 200  hours) under National Skill Development Mission : The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) has operationalized skill trainings (minimum 200 hrs) to impart knowledge and skills to rural youth and farmers under  'National  Skill  Development  Mission'  after  the  Gazette  notification  issued  by Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  in  July,  2015.  The  skill training  courses  are  conducted  through  a  wide  network of  KVKs  of  ICAR,  SAMETIs, SAUs and training institutes of DA&FW, across the country on the 'Qualification Packs' developed  by  'Agriculture  Skill  Council  of  India  (ASCI)'  in  compliance  with  the 'National Skill Qualification Framework'.
- iv. Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of  Horticulture  (MIDH)  :  Under  the  HRD component of  MIDH, the training is provided to farmers on latest technologies related to the  production  and  post-harvest  management  of  horticulture  produce  covering  fruits, vegetables, flowers, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, coco and bamboo. The MIDH is under implementation in all States and UTs in the country.
- v. Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) : Under SMAM, the training is imparted to the farmers and rural youth in the field of farm mechanization through four 'Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute (FMTTIs)' located at Budni (MP), Hisar (Haryana), Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) & Biswanath Chariali (Assam).

## vi. Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) :

The training to farmers (2-3 days) are imparted through a wide network of 731 KVKs, across the country established by ICAR to upgrade the knowledge and skills of farmers on various technological aspects in agriculture and allied sectors.

The details of funds allocated and spent under the above schemes during each of the last three years and current year are given in Annexure-I.

(c) & (d) : The proposed initiatives to enhance the capacity of farmers and steps taken by the Government to  educate  and  inculcate  key  skills  among  the  farmers  to  make  them  partners  in agri-export are given below :

- i. The National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad is supplementing the  efforts  of  DA&FW for  formation  and  promotion  of  Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in coordination with the States.
- ii. MANAGE impart training on agri. export  to  the  extension  functionaries  working  in  the agriculture and allied departments of the States to upgrade their knowledge  and competence who in turn empower the farmers at field level in the respective States.
- iii. The DA&FW has released the 'Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)' for use of Drones in pesticide and nutrient application in December, 2021, which provide concise instructions for  effective  and  safe  operations  of  Drones.  The  use  of  Drone  Technology  is  being popularized among farmers through Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes, ICAR Institutes, KVKs and SAUs.
- iv. The Agriculture Skill Council of India has developed the 'Qualification Packs' and 'Job Roles'  for  training  of  farmers  in  the  crop-wise  commodity  so  as  to  harness  the  export potential of high value crops. These  topics include supply chain,  agri-commodity procurement/quality assayer, electronic trading supervisor, commodities risk analysis etc.
- v. The initiative of the Government of 'One District One Product' has facilitated in educating and  training  of  farmers  to  upgrade  their  knowledge  and  competency  in  improved  crop production techniques and its effective marketing through electronic trading platform (eNAM) for income enhancement of farmers.

ANNEXURE-I

## STATEMENT SHOWING SCHEME-WISE AND YEAR-WISE FUND ALLOCATION AND SPENT FOR LAST THREE YEARS AND CURRENT YEAR

(Rupees in crore)

| Scheme                                                             | 2019-20    | 2019-20   | 2020-21    | 2020-21   | 2021-22    | 2021-22   | 2022-23    |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|------------|
| Scheme                                                             | Allocation | Spent     | Allocation | Spent     | Allocation | Spent     | Allocation |
| Extension Reforms (ATMA)                                           | 614.83     | 594.30    | 822.32     | 624.87    | 859.70     | 552.81    | 709.96     |
| Skill Trainings (7 days &min. 200 hrs)                             | 22.56      | 21.69     | 22.75      | 7.79      | 23.04      | 2.54      | 22.60      |
| HRD Component of Mission on Integrated Development of Horticulture | 40.57      | 19.02     | 20.49      | 4.72      | 11.98      | 5.18      | 20.54      |
| Krishi Vigyan Kendras of ICAR                                      | 302.73     | 297.47    | 338.27     | 336.80    | 432.59     | 432.13    | 243.72     |

*****