Lok Sabha Question No. 1586 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-12
Subject: Use of Modern Technologies
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Pratima Mondal

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1586 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 12 TH  DECEMBER 2023

## USE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGIES

## 1586.  SHRIMATI PRATIMA MONDAL

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  project  to  develop  low-cost  Modern Technologies to help farmers to face the extreme weather conditions, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  if not, the reasons for not implementing such technologies to enhance the efficiency  &  re-silence  Agri-value  chains  and  promote  digitization  of  a catalyst for agriculture transformation;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  prioritized  areas  of  encouragement  in diversification  of  agriculture,  promotion  of  sustainable  agriculture  and channelling  financial  resources  towards  environmentally  conscious  and climate re-silent farming; and
- (d)  if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ǒष एवं Ǒकसान कãयाण मंğी (SHRI ARJUN MUNDA)

(a) & (b): Agriculture is a State subject. Government of India supports and facilitates  the  State  Governments  through  many  Centrally  Sponsored  and Central Sector Schemes to promote agriculture throughout the country and to help  small  and  marginal  farmers  to  gain  access  to  modern  agriculture technology.  Government  of  India  is  consistently  making  efforts  to  overcome obsolete technology and introduce new technology in agriculture such as High Yielding Varieties (HYV) seeds, Agricultural Mechanization, Micro Irrigation etc. To meet the challenges of sustaining domestic food production in the face of changing  climate,  the  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  has launched  a  flagship  network  project  namely  National  Innovations  in  Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA). The project aims studying at the impact of climate change on agriculture including crops, livestock, horticulture and fisheries and to develop  and  promote  climate  resilient technologies  in  agriculture for addressing vulnerable areas of the country prone to extreme weather conditions like  droughts,  floods,  frost,  heat  waves,  etc.  ICAR  has  released  2380  high yielding  varieties  /  hybrids  of  field  crops  for  different  agro-climatic  conditions during 2014-15 to 2022-23, out of which, 1888 are climate resilient varieties. Sixty-eight  location-specific  climate  resilient  technologies  have  also  been developed and popularized for wider adoption among the farming communities in vulnerable districts. Agricultural contingency plans for 650 districts have been prepared and made available online for policy makers to take decisions in the event  of  delayed  monsoons  and  other  extreme  weather  events.  Based  on vulnerability assessment, climate resilient technologies are being demonstrated on farmer's fields in 151 clusters covering 446 villages.

(c) & (d): The use of modern technologies including kisan drones is promoted under  Sub-Mission  on  Agricultural  Mechanization.  Under  NeGPA  program, funding  is  given  to  State  Governments  for  Digital  Agriculture  Projects  using emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (Al/ML), Internet of Things (IOT), Block chain etc. A component called" Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship  Development"  has  been  launched  under  Rashtriya Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY-RAFTAAR)  in  2018-19  with  the  objective  of promoting innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem. Under this programme, start-ups are encouraged  to  use  innovative  technologies  to  resolve  challenges  faced  in agriculture and allied sectors. The Government has also recently approved Central Sector Scheme for providing drones to the Women Self Help Groups (SHGs). The scheme aims to provide drones to 15000 selected Women SHGs for providing rental services to  farmers  for  agriculture  purpose  (application  of  fertilizers  and  pesticides). Central Financial Assistance @ 80% of the cost of drone and accessories/ancillary charges up to a maximum of Rs. 8.0 lakhs will be provided to the women SHGs  for purchase of drones. The Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) of SHGs may raise the balance amount (total cost of procurement minus subsidy) as loan under National Agriculture Infra Financing Facility (AIF). Further, the Government has been implementing a Crop Diversification Programme (CDP) in rice-wheat growing areas under RKVY since 2013-14 to divert the area under water guzzling rice to alternate crops like pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals, nutri-cereals, cotton and agro-forestry. To deal with the impact of climate change in food grains production, the Government  is  implementing  National  Mission  for  Sustainable  Agriculture (NMSA).  NMSA  is  one  of  the  Missions  within  the  National  Action  Plan  on Climate Change (NAPCC) which aims of evolving and implementing strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to the changing climate and to sustain food grains production.

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