Lok Sabha Question No. 410 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-22
Subject: Schemes for Crop Diversification in Rain-fed Areas
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Amarsing Tisso

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 410

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND  JULY, 2025

## SCHEMES FOR CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN RAIN-FED AREAS

410. SHRI AMARSING TISSO:

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

- (a) whether the Government is implementing any crop diversification schemes in rain-fed tribal areas of Assam, especially in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts;
- (b) if so, the details of the crops promoted and the areas covered;
- (c) the financial assistance or incentives provided to farmers under such schemes; and
- (d) the steps taken to integrate these schemes with value chain and market access initiatives?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR) Farmers  Welfare  (DA&FW)  is implementing  Centrally  sponsored  scheme  viz;  Rainfed  Area  Development  (RAD), National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) and  National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Seeds (NMEO-OS) across the country including Assam. The Karbi Anglong

(a) to (d): The Department of Agriculture & and Dima Hasao districts of Assam are also covered under these scheme.

The Rainfed Area Development (RAD) scheme focuses on Integrated Farming System (IFS) for enhancing productivity and minimizing risks associated with climatic variability.  Under  RAD,  crops/cropping  system  is  integrated  with  activities  like horticulture, livestock, fishery, agro-forestry, apiculture etc. to enable farmers not only in maximizing farm returns for sustaining livelihood, but also to mitigate the impacts of drought, flood or other extreme weather events. In Karbi Anglong district, Capacity Building Training are also conducted to integrate the scheme with value chain and the farmers are trained for post harvest storage of the farm products and processing of the by-products, packaging and sealing. Also the process is continuing to enrol and form farmers into  a  FPO, so that  proper marketing is done  to promote export and expand new market. In Dima Hasao district farmers are linked with local Buyers.

The National Mission on Edible Oils - Oilseeds (NMEO-OS) aims to boost domestic oilseed  production  to  strive  towards self-reliant  in  edible  oils  in  the  country.  Under NMEO-Oilseeds,  over  600  Value  Chain  Clusters  have  been  identified  across  the country, covering more than 10 lakh hectares annually. These clusters are managed by Value Chain Partners (VCPs), including Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and  cooperatives.  Farmers  in  these  clusters  are  getting  free  high-quality  seeds, training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and advisory services on weather and pest management. Additionally, states also conducting block demonstrations to create awareness among farmers about the latest high-yielding varieties and technologies. and cooperatives for setting up post-harvest infrastructure including improving the capacity or efficiency of existing infrastructure for increasing the efficiency of oilseed collection, oil extraction & recovery. This also enhances the recovery of valuable products from secondary  sources  such  as  cottonseed,  rice  bran,  corn  oil,  and  Tree-Borne  Oils (TBOs), contributing to sustainable agricultural practices and better income generation

In addition, the mission supports Government/Private industries, FPOs for farmers. The NMEO-OP strives to boost oil palm cultivation in the country through area expansion,  production  inputs,  market  support  and  technology  transfer.  It  provides assistance  for  planting,  intercropping,  irrigation,  mechanization,  and  replanting, alongside price assurance through viability gap funding to the farmers. The scheme also promotes new technologies, farmer training, and infrastructure development to enhance productivity and efficiency.

Further, the Crop Diversification Programme (CDP) under the Pradhan Mantri - Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) in the Original Green Revolution States viz; Haryana, Punjab and 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. however, CDP is not implemented in Assam.

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