Lok Sabha Question No. 3069 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-08
Subject: Farm Credit Target
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Mimi Chakraborty

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3069

TO BE ANSWERED ON 8 TH  AUGUST, 2023

## FARM CREDIT TARGET

3069.    MS. MIMI CHAKRABORTY:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एंव ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has raised the farm credit target to Rs. 20 lakh crore for 202324;
- (b) if so, the details of proposal and plan prepared to promote agro-forestry; and
- (c) whether the Government has any proposal to promote chemical-free natural farming along the corridor on the river Ganga, if so, the details thereof and the States likely to be covered under it and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एंव ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a):  Yes, Madam.

- (b):  The erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) has now been restructured with focus on Quality Planting Material as an Agroforestry component to be implemented as one of the components of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) with an indicative outlay of Rs. 271.65 crore (GoI Share) for the 15 th  Finance Commission period i.e. 2021-22 to 2025-26 with special focus on production of certified Quality Planting Material (QPM).  ICAR-Central  Agroforestry  Research  Institute  (CAFRI)  is  the  nodal  agency  for providing  technical  support,  capacity  building,  setting  up  of  nurseries,  production,  and certification  of  QPM  etc.  CAFRI  shall  extend  support  through  its  All  India  Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) centers on agroforestry situated at various locations around the country.  For  the  implementation  of  the  scheme  State  Nodal  Department/Agency  shall  be

identified for each State/UTs. The Nodal Department/Agency shall ensure the availability of QPM by producing on its own or through the collaborative arrangement with individuals/institutions  such  as  SAUs,  KVKs,  FPOs,  SHGs,  NGOs,  Entrepreneurs/Startups, Forest/Agriculture institutes, farmers/cooperative societies etc. QMP raised under the scheme shall  be  made  available  for  farmers/SHGs  free  of  cost  or  as  decided  by  the  respective States/UTs. The scheme will have the following major components/ activities;

- i. Establishment of Nurseries for Production of QPM
- ii. Tissue culture lab for quality planting material
- iii. Skill Development and awareness campaign (up to 5% of allocation):
- iv. Research & Development, Market linking:
- v. Project Management Unit (PMU) and Agroforestry Technical Support Group (TSG)
- vi. Local Initiative (upto 2 % of Approved Annual Plan)

(c):  The government is promoting natural farming since 2019-2020 through a sub-scheme namely Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddati (BPKP) under Paramaragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY). Natural farming is chemical-free farming based on the integrated agriculture and animal husbandry approach using livestock and local resources and relies on-farm biomass recycling  with  major  stress  on  biomass  mulching,  the  use  of  on-farm  cow  dung-urine formulations from local livestock.

Under  the  Namai  Gange  Program  of  PKVY  scheme  Government  is  promoting chemical-free Organic farming along the bank of the Ganga River. 1.23 lakh ha area has been covered under the Namami Gange program since 2017-18.

During 2022-23, Government approved Chemical-free Natural Farming for a 1.48 lakh ha  area  in  5-km  wide  corridors  along  river  Ganga  for  the  States  of  Bihar,  Jharkhand, Uttarakhand  and  Uttar  Pradesh.  The  States  of  Bihar,  Jharkhand,  Uttarakhand  and  Uttar Pradesh have approved areas of 52,000 ha, 4000 ha, 6400 ha and 85710 ha respectively for Natural Farming.

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