PIB Summary- 29th March, 2022 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Achieving Self-Reliance in Oilseeds and Pulses

• The Government is implementing National Food Security Mission (NFSM) for enhancing production of oilseeds and pulses in the country.
• Under NFSM, assistance is given through State Governments to farmers for interventions like cluster demonstrations on improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system, seed production and distribution of High Yielding Varieties/Hybrids, improved farm machineries/resource conservation machineries/tools, efficient water application tools, plant protection measures, nutrient management/soil ameliorants, cropping system based trainings to the farmers etc.
• In addition, the mission also provides support to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) & State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/Krishi VigyanKendras (KVKs) for technology back stopping and transfer of technology to the farmer under supervision of Subject Matter Specialists/Scientists.
• Besides, Rashtriya Krishi VikasYojana RAFTAAR (RKVY-RAFTAAR) provides provision for crop production related activities on oilseeds and pulses.
• Under RKVYRAFTAAR, the states can also implement programme on oilseeds and pulses with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) constituted under the chairpersonship of Chief Secretary of the state.

Adoption of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)

• Government is implementing Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP) introduced during 2020-21 as a sub scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) for the promotion of traditional indigenous practices including Natural Farming to bring down the input costs.
• The scheme mainly emphasizes on exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs and promotes on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching, use of cow dung-urine formulations and other plant-based preparations. Training through capacity building is integral part of the scheme.
• Under BPKP, financial assistance of Rs 12200/ha for 3 years is provided for cluster formation, capacity building and continuous handholding by trained personnel, certification and residue analysis.
• An area of 4.09 lakh ha area has been covered under natural farming and a total fund of Rs. 4980.99 lakh has been released to 8 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu while an area of 5.68 lakh ha have also been approved for 3 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh.
• Evidence from implementation of Natural Farming (NF) from various parts of the country indicates that shift towards NF helps in lowering the input cost.
• After acceptance of DFI Committee recommendations, the Government has constituted an ‘Empowered Body’ to review and monitor the progress

Cultivation of High-Value Crops

• High value crops are mainly horticulture crops such as fruits, flowers, spices, vegetables & aromatic plants etc.
• Value of output and net returns of most of these horticulture crops is higher.
• A Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) has been launched in the year 2014 for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector.
• It also aims to enhance horticulture production, augment farmers’ income and strengthen nutritional security.
• Measures being taken under MIDH for promotion of horticulture sector are Area Expansion (establishment of new garden), Rejuvenation/Replanting of old and senile gardens, production and distribution of Quality Planting Materials.
• The State Horticulture Missions further release the funds to selected beneficiaries.

Promoting Domestic FPIs

• Government incentivizes food processing industries through various schemes. Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing the Central Sector umbrella scheme- Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) and Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME)” across the country.
• The Ministry provides credit linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing / preservation industries including export-oriented ones. The Schemes are aimed to promote setting up, modernization and capacity enhancement of food processing industries in the country.
• These measures include shifting from product to product approval regime to an ingredient based approval system, putting in place an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) under the Cabinet Secretary and Project Development Cells in various Ministries/ departments including MoFPI; streamlining proposal approval and grants disbursal process in the Ministry through on-line portal (SAMPADA) etc.

Measures to promote Crop Diversification

• The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing the Crop Diversification Programme (CDP), a sub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) in the Original Green Revolution States viz; Haryana, Punjab & Western Uttar Pradesh since 2013-14 to divert the area of water intensive paddy crop to alternative crops like pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals, nutri cereals, cotton etc.
• Government of India also provide flexibility to the states for state specific needs/priorities under RKVY. The state can promote crop diversification under RKVY with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) headed by Chief Secretary of the State.
• Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to the farmers for purchase of identified crop residue management machinery.
• Financial assistance is also provided to the State Governments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institutions, Central Government Institutions, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) etc. for Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities for creating awareness on crop residue management.
• The ICAR has developed Pusa Decomposer, a microbial consortium of fungal species (both in liquid and capsule forms)for rapid decomposition of paddy straw. Use of this consortium accelerates process of paddy straw decomposition in the field itself.