Lok Sabha Question No. 271 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-04
Subject: Skill Development Schemes for Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Durai Vaiko

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 271

TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH  FEBRUARY, 2025

## SKILL DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES FOR FARMERS

271. SHRI DURAI VAIKO:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state: (a) the  details  of  the  number  of  farmers  benefited/trained  under  the  skill  development schemes  implemented  by  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  during  the  last three years, year-wise; and (b) the  funds  allotted/utilized  under  respective  schemes  in  the  districts  of  Tiruchirappalli

- and Pudukottai?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a): The  Government  has  initiated  and  is  implementing  the  following  schemes  aimed  to provide farmers with latest skilling requirements. The  Government  is  implementing  Skill  Training  of  Rural  Youth  (STRY)  with  the objective to impart  short  term skill  training  (7 days duration) to rural  youths  and  farmers  in agriculture  and  allied  sectors  for  upgradation  of  their  knowledge  and  skills  and  promote wage/self employment in rural areas. The component aims at providing short duration skill based  training  programs  to  rural  youth  and  farmers  on  agri-based  vocational  areas  for creating  a  pool  of  skilled  manpower.  Recently, the  STRY programme has  been  subsumed under ATMA cafeteria.

The  Government  is  implementing  skill  development  programmes  through  Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in different States of  the  Country  to  serve  as  single  window  agricultural  knowledge,  resource  and  capacity development centres with mandate of technology assessment and demonstration for its use and capacity building. As part of its activities, the KVKs are imparting training to the farmers, farm  women  and  rural  youths  on  different  aspects  of  agriculture  and  allied  sectors  (Crop Production,  Horticulture,  Soil  Health  and  Fertility  Management,  Livestock  Production  and Management,  Home  Science/Women  empowerment,  Agril.  Engineering,  Plant  Protection, Fisheries, Production of Input at site, Agro forestry etc.) for their capacity building.

A  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  on  'Support  to  State  Extension  Programmes  for Extension  Reforms'  popularly  known  as  Agriculture  Technology  Management  Agency (ATMA) is implemented across the country by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The scheme promotes decentralized farmer-friendly Extension system in the country with an objective to support State Government's efforts to revitalize the extension system and making available  the  latest  agricultural  technologies  and  good  agricultural  practices  in  different thematic areas of  agriculture  and  allied  areas  to  farmers, farm  women  and  youth,  through various  interventions  like  Farmers  Training,  Demonstrations,  Exposure  Visits,  Kisan  Melas etc.  Presently, the scheme is being implemented in 739 districts of 28 States & 5 UTs in the country.

The  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  is  implementing  'Sub  Mission  on Agricultural Mechanization' (SMAM).  For implementation of this  scheme Four  Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes (FMTTIs) located at Budni (Madhya Pradesh), Hissar (Haryana), Geraldine (Andhra Pradesh) and Biswanath Chariali (Assam) are engaged in the country for imparting skill development training courses to different categories of beneficiaries like  farmers, technicians, under graduate engineers,  entrepreneurs on selection,  operation, repair and maintenance, energy conservation and management of agricultural equipments.

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), an umbrella scheme of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, is implemented for ensuring holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors. There is provision for allowing the states to choose their own agriculture and allied sector development activities including training programmes  as  per the district/state agriculture plan.

The Government has launched National Skill Development Mission under the Ministry of  Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in July 2015, under which the DA&FW has been operationalizing skill training courses of minimum 200 hours duration for rural youth and farmers as per the approved Qualification Packs developed by Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI) in the areas of agriculture and allied sectors. Recently, this programme has been subsumed under ATMA cafeteria.

The  details  of  the  number  of  farmers  benefited/trained  under  the  skill  development schemes  implemented  by  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  during  the  last three years, year-wise is given as under:

| S.No.   | Schemes   | Number of Farmers Trained   | Number of Farmers Trained   | Number of Farmers Trained   | Total   |
|---------|-----------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|---------|
| S.No.   | Schemes   | 2021-22                     | 2022-23                     | 2023-24                     | Total   |
| 1.      | STRY      | 10456                       | 11634                       | 20940                       | 43030   |
| 2.      | KVK       | 1691744                     | 1953220                     | 2156363                     | 5801327 |
| 3.      | ATMA      | 1359069                     | 1428446                     | 1207207                     | 3994722 |
| 4.      | SMAM      | 13261                       | 15440                       | 14971                       | 43672   |
| 5.      | RKVY      | --                          | 3799                        | 2951                        | 6750    |
| 6.      | MSDE      | 3470                        | 3715                        | 718                         | 7903    |
|         | Total     | 3078000                     | 3416254                     | 3403150                     | 9897404 |

(b): The funds allotted/utilized under respective schemes in the districts of Tiruchirappalli and Pudukottai are given as under:

District : Tiruchirappalli.

(Rs. in Lakhs)

| S.No   | Schemes    | 2021-22       | 2021-22        | 2022-23       | 2022-23        | 2023-24       | 2023-24        |
|--------|------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|----------------|
|        |            | Funds alloted | Funds utilized | Funds alloted | Funds utilized | Funds alloted | Funds utilized |
| 1.     | STRY       | 0.42          | 0.42           | 0.42          | 0.42           | 1.26          | 1.26           |
| 2.     | ATMA       | 51.5          | 51.5           | 24.9          | 24.9           | 21            | 21             |
| 3.     | TNSDC STRY | 0.88704       | 0.88704        | 0.68544       | 0.68544        | --            | --             |
|        | Total      | 52.80704      | 52.80704       | 26.00544      | 26.00544       | 22.26         | 22.26          |

Source: State Department of Agriculture, Government of Tamil Nadu

| S.No   | Schemes    | 2021-22       | 2021-22        | 2022-23       | 2022-23        | 2023-24       | 2023-24        |
|--------|------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|----------------|
|        |            | Funds alloted | Funds utilized | Funds alloted | Funds utilized | Funds alloted | Funds utilized |
| 1.     | STRY       | 0.84          | 0.84           | 0.42          | 0.42           | 1.26          | 1.26           |
| 2.     | ATMA       | 56.40         | 56.40          | 39.50         | 39.50          | 19.60         | 19.60          |
| 3.     | TNSDC STRY | 1.69          | 1.65           | 0.60          | 0.58           | --            | --             |
|        | Total      | 58.93         | 58.89          | 40.52         | 40.50          | 20.86         | 20.86          |

Source: State Department of Agriculture, Government of Tamil Nadu.

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