Schemes to Enhancing Production and Productivity of Agricultural Production for ias mains

Under the 12th Five Year Plan, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation has 5 Centrally Sponsored Missions, 5 Central Sector Schemes and 1 State Plan Scheme under implementation. These schemes are as follows:  Details of Missions/Schemes 1.            National Food Security Mission (NFSM) NFSM aims to increase the production of rice, wheat, pulses and Coarse Cereals through area expansion and productivity enhancement; restoring soil fertility and productivity; creating employment opportunities; and enhancing farm level economy.  The basic strategy of the Mission is to promote and extend improved technologies, i.e., seed, micronutrients, soil amendments, integrated pest management, farm machinery and resource conservation technologies along with capacity building of farmers. 2.            National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) NMSA has been formulated to make agriculture more productive, sustainable, remunerative and climate resilient by promoting location specific integrated/Composite Farming Systems; conserve natural resources through appropriate soil and moisture conservation measures;  adopt comprehensive soil health management practices; optimize utilization of water resources through efficient water management to expand coverage for achieving more crop per drop; develop capacity of farmers & stakeholders, in conjunction with other on-going Missions and pilot models in select blocks for improving productivity of rainfed farming by mainstreaming rainfed technologies. 3.            National Mission on Oil seeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) The Mission aims to expand area under oilseeds, harness the potential in the area/ districts of low productivity, strengthening inputs delivery mechanism, strengthening of post harvest services besides a focus on tribal areas for tree borne oilseeds. 4.            National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology (NMAET)             The Mission has four components viz: (i) Sub Mission on Agriculture Extension, (SMAE); (ii) Sub Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP); (iii) Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM); and (iv) Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine (SMPP).  The Mission aims to disseminate information and knowledge to the farming community in local language/ dialect in respect of agricultural schemes. 5.            Mission of Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) The Mission aims to promote holistic growth of horticulture sector, including bamboo and coconut through area based regionally differentiated strategies, which include research, technology promotion, extension, post harvest management, processing and marketing, in consonance with comparative advantage of each State/region and its diverse agro-climatic features; encourage aggregation of farmers into farmer groups like FIGs/FPOs, and FPCs to bring economy of scale and scope; enhance horticulture production, augment farmers, income and strengthen nutritional security and improve productivity by way of quality germplasm, planting material and water use efficiency through Micro Irrigation.                      II. Central Sector Schemes 1.            National Crop Insurance Scheme (NCIP) The Scheme aims to provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of crops failure as a result of natural calamities, pests and diseases as also to encourage farmers to adopt progressive farming practices, high value inputs and higher technology in agriculture. 2.            Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Cooperation (ISAC) The objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance for the activities of cooperatives like agro-processing, marketing of food grains, input supply, development of weaker section cooperatives, computerization of co-operatives etc. as also to develop cooperative awareness amongst the people and to cater to the education and training requirements of cooperative personnel and State Government officials.  3.            Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Marketing (ISAM) The Scheme aims to promote creation of agricultural marketing infrastructure by providing backend subsidy support to State, cooperative and private sector investments; to promote creation of scientific storage capacity and to promote pledge financing to increase farmers’ income; to promote Integrated Value Chains (confined up to the stage of primary processing only), to provide vertical integration of farmers with primary processors; to use ICT as a vehicle of extension to sensitize and orient farmers to respond to new challenges in agricultural marketing; to establish a nation-wide information network system for speedy collection and dissemination of market information and data on arrivals and prices for its efficient and timely utilization by farmers and other stake holders; to support framing of grade standards and quality certification of agricultural commodities to help farmers get better and remunerative prices for their graded produce; to catalyze private investment in setting up of agribusiness projects and thereby provide assured market to producers and strengthen backward linkages of agri-business projects with producers and their groups; and to undertake and promote training, research, education, extension and consultancy in the agri marketing sector. 4.               Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics and Statistics (ISACE&S) The Scheme aims to collect/ compile data of operational holdings in the country to provide aggregates for basic Agricultural Characteristics for use as benchmark for inter-census estimates. 5.               Secretariat Economic Service (SES) The Scheme aims to provide support and services to the employees/ officers of the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation including provision of office equipments, furniture, office accommodation, renovation of rooms, transport services, newspaper, Magazines, Publicity and Advertisement expenditure, etc. III.  State Plan Scheme 1.               Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) The Scheme aims to incentivize the States to increase investment in Agriculture and allied sectors to achieve 4% growth in agriculture sector. The scheme is available for any agriculture activity that can increase production growth in the agriculture and allied sectors.