Context:
Recently, the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare provided Information about key initiatives to transform the agriculture sector and Steps taken by the Government.
- The Government of India has launched several key initiatives to transform the agriculture sector, focusing on improving production, boosting farmer incomes, and promoting sustainable practices.
- These initiatives are designed to support farmers, enhance agricultural infrastructure, and drive innovation in the sector.
Key programs include:
- Clean Plant Programme (CPP):
- Aimed at enhancing the quality and productivity of horticulture crops by providing disease-free planting material.
- The program, with an outlay of Rs. 1,765.67 crore, promotes the adoption of climate-resilient varieties to increase yields.
- Digital Agriculture Mission:
- Approved with a budget of Rs. 2,817 crores, this mission supports digital agriculture initiatives, including creating Digital Public Infrastructure, conducting the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), and fostering collaborations between the government, states, and research institutions.
- Agriculture Infrastructure Fund Scheme (AIF):
- With an expanded scope, this scheme strengthens agricultural infrastructure by supporting eligible projects such as community farming assets and integrated processing projects.
- Convergence with all schemes of central or state government.
- Online single window facility in collaboration with participating lending institutions.
- The expanded scope allows individual beneficiaries to create infrastructure for community farming assets, integrated processing projects, and alignment with the PM Kusum ‘A’ scheme.
- National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds):
- Aimed at reducing the import dependence on edible oils, boosting domestic oilseed production and achieving self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in edible oils.
- The Mission will be implemented over seven years, from 2024-25 to 2030-31, with a financial outlay of Rs 10,103 crore.
- National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF):
- This mission promotes sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices with a focus on reducing chemical inputs.
- To motivate farmers to adopt chemical-free farming and enhance the reach of natural farming
- The scheme has an outlay of Rs. 2,481 crores, with both central and state shares.
- Additional programs that further support agricultural transformation include:
- National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) to monitor pest threats.
- AgriSURE – A fund for startups and rural enterprises.
- Krishi Nivesh Portal (Phase-I) for better investment opportunities in agriculture.
- Krishi-DSS Portal – A geospatial platform to assist in decision-making for Indian farmers.
- Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) to encourage sustainable agricultural practices.
- These initiatives aim to drive significant growth in India’s agricultural sector, fostering innovation, improving sustainability, and ensuring higher incomes for farmers.