Agriculture new development

Target for Foodgrain Production during 2014-15

Government has set targets for agricultural production including foodgrains for the year 2014-15, which are as follows: Crop Production Target (in million tonnes) Total foodgrains 261.00 Rice 106.00 Wheat  94.00 Pulses  19.50 Coarse Cereals  41.50 Oilseeds  33.00 Sugarcane 345.00 Cotton*  35.00 Jute & Mesta**                             11.20   *(in million bales of 170 kg each for Cotton)  **(in million bales of 180 kg each for Jute & Mesta) Government is implementing various crop development programmes/ schemes through State Governments such as National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) etc. to meet the targets for agricultural production, including foodgrains.  Under these programmes, assistance is provided for activities like demonstrations of improved technologies, distribution of improved seed / planting material, need based plant protection and soil amendments, resource conservation techniques/ energy management, efficient water application tools, protected cultivation, farmers’ trainings, etc. for enhancing production and productivity of agricultural production in the country. Promoting Modern Method of Paddy Cultivation In order to enhance the production & productivity of rice in the country, Government has been promoting modified methods of paddy cultivation such as System of Rice Intensification (SRI), Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) and Line Transplanting under various crop development programmes such as “National Food Security Mission (NFSM)”, “Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI)” and “Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)”. The Government have drawn up long term strategy to increase the production and productivity through promoting newer technology like hybrid rice cultivation, multiple stress tolerant varieties, soil health improvement through use of lime, Gypsum, micro-nutrient, green manuring, balanced use of fertilizers, mechanization etc., besides any new technologies developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) & State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) with help of various programmes like NFSM, RKVY, BGREI, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) etc. across the country. Promoting Conversion of Crop Residues into Biochar Conversion of crop residues into biochar and its application in soil as soil amendment is a novel approach for sequestering atmospheric carbon into the soils, besides improving soil quality and productivity. Apart from this, the production of biochar and its application to soil may deliver immediate benefits through increase in soil water retention properties, saturated hydraulic conductivity and nutrients availability. It has led to renewed interest of agricultural scientists in this field. Research on biochar at Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad has indicated that biochar can be produced from stocks of cotton, redgram, maize, pigeon pea and castor. A low cost portable charring kiln has also been developed at CRIDA. Research also carried out under National Initiatives on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) revealed the usefulness of application of biochar in red soils of Andhra Pradesh. Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal has initiated research to standardize optimum condition for preparation of Biochar from bio-mass of different origin and to study their effect on soil properties and crop growth. Government is accordingly taking various steps to create adequate awareness among farmers and to educate them under its Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE) under National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology (NMAET) through initiatives such as Support to States Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms (ATMA Scheme); Mass Media Support to Agricultural Extension; Setting up of Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres and Kisan Call Centre Scheme. Information is also provided to farmers through SMS Portal in the form of topical and seasonal advisories in their local language and as per their crop preferences.