Lok Sabha Question No. 1538 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-03
Subject: Farming Technology
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: NARAMALLI SIVAPRASAD, RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE, MAHEISH GIRRI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1538

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03/05/2016

## FARMING TECHNOLOGY

## 1538.  DR. NARAMALLI SIVA PRASAD: SHRIMATI RAKSHATAI KHADSE: SHRI MAHEISH GIRRI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

(a) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  study  on  the  penetration  of  farming techniques  and  technology  amongst  the  farmers  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  findings thereof;

(b) whether  the  Government  has  taken  substantial  steps  to  transfer  the  recently developed  technological  innovations  and  researches  conducted  by  various  agricultural research institutions to the farmers growing pulses and other crops in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has incentivized these institutions to develop  more such path breaking innovations which can revolutionise the farming sector and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether  the Government  proposes  to  provide  SIM  enabled  energy  efficient agricultural water pumps to the farmers and to replace the age-old ones; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h

## (SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJIBHAI KUNDARIYA)

(a) Yes, Madam.  The ICAR through the vast network of 642 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)  spread  across  the  country  conducts  frontline  demonstration  and  technology transfer  at  the  farmer's  field.  ICAR  has  been  studying  the  penetration  of  the  farming technologies developed under National Agricultural Research System (NARS) under the field.  In  a  recent  study  on  'Impact  assessment  of  KVKs  on  dissemination  of  improved practices and technologies' conducted by ICAR through a third party 'National Institute of

Labour Economics Research and Development (NILERD)', it was found that the number of  technologies  transferred/  year  by  each  KVK  averaged  7.5  of  which  64%  pertained  to field  crops  and  21%  to  horticulture.  Nearly  40%  farmers  implemented  the  technologies immediately upon seeing the demonstrations while others adopted them during subsequent seasons after reconfirming the results. 42% of technology targeted higher productivity, one third targeted enhanced farm incomes, while the remaining technologies targeted reduced drudgery.

(b) In  order  to  ensure  technological  backstopping  strengthening  of  Extension  System through  KVKs  including  on-farm  testing  is  given  importance  to  identify  the  location specificity of agricultural technologies under various farming systems, frontline demonstrations to establish the production potentials of improved agricultural technologies on  the  farmers'  fields,  and  training  of  farmers  and  extension  personnel  to  update  their knowledge and skills.  Broadening the scope of KVK activities to work as resource and knowledge centre  of  agricultural  technology  for  supporting  initiatives  of  public,  private, voluntary sector and other key stakeholders for improving the agricultural economy of the district has given desired results. To demonstrate the potential of latest pulses production and protection technologies, extensive demonstrations have been conducted by 300 KVKs situated across the country. The budget allocation for the purpose is Rs. 12.00 Crores for 2015-16  under  the  National  Food  Security  Mission.  In  this  programme,  about  32,027 demonstrations on rabi pulse crops were conducted on about 12,810.67 ha in the country by the Extension Division of ICAR during past 1 year.

(c) Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is having research and development  programmes  in  rice,  wheat,  maize,  millets,  fodder  crops,  oilseeds,  pulses, sugarcane, cotton and other fiber crops. The crop improvement programmes give emphasis on development of new crop varieties/hybrids with improved quality and tolerance/resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and making crops able to withstand the weather  extremities. Targeted integration of economically  important  genes  through structural and functional genomics/molecular breeding has been strengthened.

In  order  to  incentivizing  these  institutions  ICAR  approved  a  XII  plan  scheme  on Incentivizing  Research  in  Agriculture  with  a  total  budget  provision  of  Rs  200.00  crore comprising  five  projects  on  cutting  edge  technologies.  The  overall  objective  of  this programme  is  to  make  efforts  towards  enhancing  production  potential  of  rice  through transformation from C3 to C4 pathway and by enhancing yield under low light intensity situation  particularly  in  eastern  India.  The  programme  also  contemplates  to  reduce chemical fertilizer use through engineering biological nitrogen fixation in rice and wheat. Molecular breeding for stress tolerance will give a boost to major crops like rice, wheat, mustard and chick pea. There are 27 organizations in different component projects to carry out  the  designated  objectives  and  activities.    Further,  ICAR  has  initiated  Extramural Research fund to augment research in frontier areas with an outlay of Rs.75.0 crores during the current plan.

(d) & (e): Sim enabled pump on-off technologies are available in the market and can be adopted by the farmers with requisite training  support  from  ICAR  Institutes/KVKs.  The Govt. of Andhra Pradesh has recently initiated a programme on their promotion. The ICAR Institutes  including  CIAE  Bhopal  are  working  on  the  development  of  water  and  energy saving irrigation technologies.

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