www.iasscore.

in

AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Sector is the mainstay of the rural Indian economy around which socio-economic privileges and
deprivations revolve and any change in its structure is likely to have a corresponding impact on the existing
pattern of Social equity.
According to the new series of national income released by the CSO, at 2011-12 prices the share of agriculture
in total GDP is 18 per cent in 2013-14. As against a growth target of 4 per cent for agriculture and allied sectors
in the Twelfth Plan, the growth registered in the first year at 2011- 12 prices was 1.2 per cent, 3.7 per cent
in 2013- 14, and 1.1 per cent in 2014-15.

SC
OR
E

Area, Production and Yield

Yield is contingent upon several factors like variety and quality of seeds, soil quality, irrigation - including
quality of water-fertilizers- including their proportion-pesticides, labour, and extension services. Prices received
by farmers and the certainty or assurance of getting a particular price also incentivize farmers to take to a
particular crop and use quality inputs in its cultivation.
To improve resilience of the agricultural sector and bolster food security-including availability and affordable
access-our strategy for agriculture has to focus on improving yield and productivity. Though yield/productivity
in foodgrains and pulses has increased post-2000, the yield gaps vis--vis other countries are wide and even
within different states yields vary widely, showing that there are possibilities of raising production by increasing
yield of most of the crops without necessarily increasing prices.
In 2013- 14, total foodgrain production has been estimated at 265.6 million tonnes as per the second Advance
Estimates (AE), which is higher by 8.5 million tonnes than the 2012-13 production and 22.1 million tonnes
than average foodgrain production during the last five years.

GS

As per the 2nd Advance Estimates for 2014-15, total foodgrains production in the country is estimated at
257.07 million tonnes which is the fourth highest quantity of annual foodgrains production in the country. It
may be noted that despite deficiency of 12% in the monsoon rainfall during the year, the loss in production
has been restricted to just around 3% over the previous year and has exceeded the average production during
the last five years by 8.15 million tonnes.
As compared to last year's production of 265.57 million tonnes, current year's production of foodgrains is lower
by 8.5 million tonnes. This decline has occurred on account of lower production of rice, coarse, cereals and
pulses due to erratic rainfall conditions during the monsoon season-2014.
An inverse relationship is noticed between increase in yield over time and the average cost of production of
various crops in real terms. For example, for rabi crops a 10 per cent increase in yield resulted in a 2.1 per cent
to 8.1 per cent decline in the average cost of production of various crops in real terms. This clearly points
towards the fact that productivity increases, especially in low productivity states/regions, can significantly
contribute towards reducing cost-push food inflation.

Cropping Seasons in India

Notes

There are three distinct crop seasons in the northern and interior parts of country, namely kharif, rabi and zaid.
The kharif season largely coincides with Southwest Monsoon under which the cultivation of tropical crops such
as rice, cotton, jute, jowar, bajra and tur is possible.

www.iasscore.in

The rabi season begins with the onset of winter in October-November and ends in March-April. The low
temperature conditions during this season facilitate the cultivation of temperate and subtropical crops such as
wheat, gram and mustard.
Zaid is a short duration summer cropping season beginning after harvesting of rabi crops. The cultivation of
watermelons, cucumbers, vegetables and fodder crops during this season is done on irrigated lands. However,
this type of distinction in the cropping season does not exist in southern parts of the country. Here, the
temperature is high enough to grow tropical crops during any period in the year provided the soil moisture is
available. Therefore, in this region same crops can be grown thrice in an agricultural year provided there is
sufficient soil moisture.

Government Policies in Agriculture Sector

1.

National Agricultural Policy

SC
OR
E

The challenges facing Indian agriculture can be grouped in four categories relating to (1) growth (2) sustainability
(3) efficiency and (4) equity. There are also other important concerns like food security, livelihood, employment,
improvement in standard of living of agricultural population. Addressing these challenges requires efforts on
several fronts like incentive structure, infrastructure, technology, market development, extension, regulations,
input supply, tenancy etc. New agriculture policy address the above challenges through efforts in above mentioned
areas and also provide direction to the future of agriculture in the country.
The main features of the National Agricultural Policy are:

b)

Private sector participation would be promoted through contract farming and land leasing arrangements to
allow accelerated technology transfer, capital inflow, assured markets for crop production especially of
oilseeds, cotton and horticultural crops.

c)

The policy envisages evolving a 'National Livestock Breeding Strategy' to meet the requirement of milk,
meat, egg and livestock products and to enhance the role of draught animals as a source of energy for
farming operations.

d)

High priority would be accorded to evolve new location-specific and economically viable improved varieties
of farm and horticulture crops, livestock species and aquaculture.

e)

The restrictions on the movement of agricultural commodities throughout the country would be progressively
dismantled. The structure of taxes on food grains and other commercial crops would be reviewed.

f)

The excise duty on materials such as farm machinery and implements and fertilizers used as inputs in
agricultural production, post-harvest stage and processing would be reviewed.

g)

Rural electrification would be given high priority as a prime mover for agricultural development.

h)

The use of new and renewable sources of energy for irrigation and other agricultural purposes would be
encouraged.

i)

Progressive institutionalisation of rural and farm credit would be continued for providing timely and
adequate credit to farmers.

j)

Endeavour would be made to provide a package insurance policy for the farmers, right from sowing of
crops to post-harvest operations including market fluctuations in the prices of agricultural produce.

GS

Privatisation of agriculture and price protection of farmers in the post QR (Quantitative Restrictions)
regime would be part of the government's strategy to synergise agricultural growth.

Notes

a)

www.iasscore.in

2.

National Policy for Farmers, 2007

3.

National Seed Policy 2002

SC
OR
E

The National Policy for Farmers, 2007, on recommendations of National Commission on Farmers, has provided
for a holistic approach to development of the farm sector. Policy provisions in NPF-2007 include, inter-alia,
asset reforms in respect of land, water, livestock, fisheries and bio-resources; supply of good quality seeds and
disease-free planting material, issue of soil health passbooks to the farmers and integrated pest management
system; region and crop specific implements and machinery; support services for women; timely, adequate and
easy reach of institutional credit at reasonable interest rates and farmer-friendly insurance instruments; support
services and inputs like application of frontier technologies; agricultural bio-security system; use of Information
and Communication Technology (ICT) and setting up of farm schools to revitalize agricultural extension;
coverage of farmers under a comprehensive national social security scheme; effective implementation of
Minimum Support Price (MSP) across the country and establishing community foodgrain banks; development
of agricultural market infrastructure and terminal markets for agriculture; curriculum reforms in agricultural
universities; special categories of farming like organic farming and contract farming; rural non-farm employment
initiative for farm households; and integrated approach for rural energy, etc.

The Indian government has approved a new National Seeds Policy to provide intellectual property protection
to new varieties and set up institutes for the planned development of the sector. The policy has nine major
thrust areas including the production of quality seeds by the private sector, establishing state seed testing
laboratories, access to breeder seed, etc
The main features of the National Seeds Policy, 2002 include development of new and improved varieties of
plants, timely availability of quality seeds, compulsory registration of seeds, creation of infrastructure facilities,
quality assurance, promotion of seed industry, abolition of licensing for seed dealers, facility for import of best
quality seeds, encouragement for export of seeds and creation of Seed Banks and National Seed Grid.

GS

These initiatives will encourage investment in research and development, thereby ensuring availability of high
yielding varieties of seeds which will lead to higher production and improving the economic condition of the
farmers in the country.
Strategies proposed by the government are:

A Plant Varieties & Farmers' Rights Protection (PVP) Authority has been established to undertake registration
of extant and new plant varieties through the Plant Varieties. Registry on the basis of varietal characteristics.

2.

A National Gene Fund has been established for implementation of the benefit sharing arrangement, and
payment of compensation to village communities for their contribution to the development and conservation
of plant genetic resources and also to promote conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources.
Suitable systems will be worked out to identify the contributions from traditional knowledge and heritage.

3.

Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Crops has been permitted to be accessed by Research
Organisations and Seed Companies from public collections as per the provisions of the 'Material Transfer
Agreement' of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources and the Biological Diversity Bill.

4.

The National Seeds Board (NSB) has been established in place of existing Central Seed Committee and
Central Seed Certification Board. The NSB will have permanent existence with the responsibility of
executing and implementing the provisions of the Seeds Act and advising the Government on all matters
relating to seed planning and development. The NSB will function as the apex body in the seed sector.

Notes

1.

www.iasscore.in

Government Schemes for Productivity Enhancement

Agriculture being a state subject, the primary responsibility for increasing agriculture production, enhancing
productivity, and exploring the vast untapped potential of the sector rests with the state governments. However,
in order to supplement the efforts of the state governments, a number of centrally sponsored and central-sector
schemes are being implemented for enhancing agricultural production and productivity in the country and
increasing the income of the farming community. Some of them are discussed below:
1.

National Food Security Mission (NFSM)

2.

SC
OR
E

The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) is being implemented with the new target of additional production
of 25 million tonnes of foodgrains comprising 10 million tonnes rice, 8 million tonnes wheat, 4 million tonnes
pulses, and 3 million tonnes coarse cereals by the end of the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2016-17). The revamped
NFSM is being implemented from 2014-15 in 619 districts of 28 states. In addition to rice, wheat and pulses,
crops like coarse cereals and commercial crops (sugarcane, cotton, and jute) have been included since 2014-15.
Promotion of farmer producer organizations (FPOs), value addition, dal mill, and assistance for custom hiring
charges have also been undertaken under the Mission. The pulses component has been allocated fifty per cent
of total funds under the NFSM in order to increase their production. To promote the use of bio-fertilizers,
subsidy on bio-fertilizer has also been enhanced from Rs. 100 per ha to Rs.300 per ha.
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

GS

The RKVY was launched in 2007-08 with an outlay of Rs. 25,000 crore in the Eleventh Plan for Incentivizing
states to enhance public investment to achieve 4 per cent growth rate in agriculture and allied sectors during
the Eleventh Five Year Plan period. The sub-schemes include Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern Region;
Integrated Development of 60,000 Pulses Villages in Rainfed Areas; Promotion of Oil Palm; Initiative on
Vegetable Clusters; Nutri-cereals; National Mission for Protein Supplements; Accelerated Fodder Development
Programme; Rainfed Area Development Programme; and Saffron Mission. The RKVY links 50 per cent of
central assistance to those states that have stepped up percentage of State Plan expenditure on agriculture and
allied sectors.
The government has approved continuation of the RKVY scheme during the Twelfth Plan whereby RKVY
funding will be routed into three components, viz. production growth, infrastructure & assets, & sub-schemes
and flexi-fund. The proposed allocation for implementation of this scheme during 2015-16 is Rs. 18,000 crore.
In view of the need to increase capital formation and get higher returns on investments, states are at liberty
to spend up to 100 per cent of total outlay in the infrastructure and asset creation component.
3.

Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm, and Maize (ISOPOM)

Oilseeds are raised mostly under rainfed conditions and are important for the livelihood of small and marginal
farmers in the arid and semi-arid areas of the country. The centrally sponsored ISOPOM have been under
implementation during the Eleventh Plan in 14 states for oilseeds and pulses, 15 for maize, and 9 for oil palm.
The pulses component has been merged with the NFSM with effect from 1 April 2010.
4.

National Horticulture Mission (NHM)

Notes

The horticulture sector includes a wide range of crops, such as fruits, vegetables, roots and tuber crops, flowers,
aromatic and medicinal plants, spices, and plantation crops, which facilitate diversification in agriculture. It has
been recognized that growing horticulture crops is now an ideal option to improve

www.iasscore.in

5.

National Bamboo Mission (NBM)

6.

SC
OR
E

The NBM, a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture for harnessing the potential of the
bamboo crop in the country, is under implementation in 27 states with a total outlay of Rs. 568.23 crore. The
Mission envisages promoting holistic growth of the bamboo sector by adopting an area-based, regionally
differentiated strategy to increase the area under bamboo cultivation and marketing. Under the Mission, steps
have been taken to increase the availability of quality planting material by supporting the setting up of new
nurseries/tissue culture units and strengthening existing ones. To address forward integration, the Mission is
taking steps to strengthen marketing of bamboo products, especially those of handicraft items. During 201112, 9,349 ha of forest and 5,526 ha of non-forest area has so far been covered under bamboo plantation and
1,074 ha of existing bamboo plantation has been improved for higher productivity. Since the inception of the
Mission, 1,89,466 ha has been covered with bamboo plantation. Besides, the Mission has provided financial
assistance to different institutions/ universities for twenty-three R&D projects aimed at higher productivity of
bamboo. Agro-forestry trials comprising bamboo grown along with agricultural/ horticultural crops and medicinal
plants under different agro-climatic conditions in various states have been initiated.
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)

With effect from 2014-15, the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) has been
operationalized by bringing all ongoing schemes on horticulture under a single umbrella. Production and distribution
of quality planting material, productivity improvement measures through protected cultivation, use of micro
irrigation, adoption of integrated pest management and integrated nutrient management along with creation of
infrastructure for post-harvest management and marketing are focus areas of the MIDH.

Government Policies and Strategies for Crop Diversification

GS

Diversification of agriculture refers to the shift from the regional dominance of one crop to regional production
of a number of crops, to meet ever increasing demand for cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, oilseeds, fibres,
fodder and grasses, fuel, etc. It aims to improve soil health and a dynamic equilibrium of the agro-ecosystem.
Crop diversification takes into account the economic returns from different value-added crops. It is different
from the concept of multiple cropping or succession planting in which multiple crops are planted in succession
over the course of a growing season.
Considering the importance of crop diversification in the overall developmental strategy in Indian agriculture,
the government of India has taken several initiatives for agricultural development in general and crop
diversification in particular. These initiatives are as follows:
Launching a Technology Mission for the Integrated Development of Horticulture in the Northeastern
Region: The programme will establish effective linkages between research, production, extension, postharvest management, processing, marketing and exports and bring about a rapid development of agriculture
in the region.

2.

Implementing National Agriculture Insurance Scheme: The scheme will cover food crops and oilseeds
and annual commercial and horticulture crops. Small and marginal farmers are eligible for 50 per cent
subsidy under the Scheme.

3.

Operationalizing Technology Mission on Cotton: The Technology Mission will have separate MiniMissions on technology generation, product support and extension, market infrastructure and modernization
of ginning and pressing units.

Notes

1.

www.iasscore.in

Provision of Capital Subsidy of 25 percent for construction/modernization/expansion of cold storages

and storages for horticultural produce.

5.

Creation of Watershed Development Fund at the National level for the development of Rainfed lands.

6.

Infrastructure Support for Horticultural Development with emphasis on Post-harvest Management.

7.

Strengthening Agricultural Marketing: Greater attention to be paid for development of a comprehensive,

efficient and responsive marketing system for domestic marketing as well as exports by ensuring proper
quality control and standardization.

8.

Seed Crop Insurance: A pilot scheme on Seed Crop Insurance has been launched which will cover the
risk factor involved in production of seeds.

9.

Seed Bank Scheme: About 7-8 per cent of certified seeds produced in the country will be kept in buffer
stock to meet any eventualities arising out of drought, floods or any other form of natural calamities.

SC
OR
E

4.

10. Cooperative Sector Reforms: Amendment to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
Act, 1952, and Replacement of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 1984.
All these measures will lead to crop diversification and increase the production and productivity of crops.

Government Policies and Strategies for Agriculture Research and Education

Agricultural research has played a vital role in agricultural transformation and in reducing hunger and poverty.
For the Twelfth Five Year Plan, the ICAR has proposed a number of new initiatives in its manner of functioning,
such as extramural funding for research, creation of funds for agri-innovations and agri-incubation and setting
up of an Agriculture Technology Forecast Centre (ATFC). To improve staff strength and quality it has
proposed an Adjunct Professor Scheme, Agriculture Sciences Pursuit for Inspired Research Excellence (ASPIRE),
e-courses and more post-doctoral fellowships. Modernisation of SAU farms is also contemplated. In particular,
it has proposed the following new thrusts:

2.

National Agricultural Education Project: A National Agricultural Education Project for Systemic
Improvement in Higher Agricultural Education and Institution Development is proposed to be undertaken
as an externally-funded project to improve education quality in State Agricultural Universities.

3.

National Agriculture Entrepreneurship Project: Another externally-funded project is proposed in order to

build an ecosystem for nurturing entrepreneurship development through translational research for technology
commercialisation, management of technologies for commercialisation, research for breakthrough
technologies for accelerated growth and higher-economic impact.

4.

Farmer FIRST: In order to make technology delivery process more effective through the existing 630

GS

Conceived Research Platforms: Research consortia platforms are proposed for focused, time bound multidisciplinary research in areas of 'Agro Biodiversity Management; Genomics; Seed; Hybrids; GM Foods;
Biofortification; Plant Borers; High Value Compounds/Phytochemicals; Nanotechnology; Diagnostics and
Vaccines; Conservation Agriculture; Waste Management; Water Management; Natural Fibre; Health Foods;
Precision Farming, Farm Mechanisation and Energy; Secondary Agriculture and Agriincubators.' These
will involve partnership of ICAR with R&D organisations inside and outside NARS. Inter-departmental
platforms for research in these priority areas and also capacity building in basic sciences, remote sensing
and medium range agri-advisory services will be fostered involving CSIR, DBT, ICMR, DRDO, DST
research institutes as well as general universities and Ministries of Environment, Space and Earth Sciences.

Notes

1.

www.iasscore.in

Krishi Vigyan Kendras, this new initiative will enhance farmers-scientist contact through multi-stakeholders'
participation to move beyond production and productivity to privilege the complex, diverse and risk prone
reality faced by most farmers.
5.

Student READY: A one-year composite programme, the Rural Entrepreneurship and Awareness
Development Yojana (READY) is proposed with the objective to develop professional skills for
entrepreneurship: knowledge through meaningful hands-on experience in project mode; confidence through
end to end approach in product development; and enterprise management capabilities including skills for
project development and execution, accountancy and national/ international marketing.

6.

Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA): This initiative will be implemented with a youthcentric approach, targeting areas of agriculture research which can be converted into viable economic
enterprises and build capacities to attract rural youth to agriculture

SC
OR
E

New Programmes Launched by Government

Mera Gaon, Mera Gaurav - This scheme is being launched involving agricultural experts of agricultural
universities and ICAR institutes for effective and deeper reach of scientific farming to the villages. A
group of experts will be associated with one particular village to create awareness and adoption of new
technologies including farm investment, loans, availability of inputs and marketing. All the scientists from
ICAR and agricultural universities will participate in this initiative.

2.

Krishi Dak - IARI initiated this novel scheme in 20 districts in which postmen supplied seeds of
improved varieties of crops to the farmers in far-flung areas. Owing to its success and popularity, this
scheme is being extended in 100 districts of 14 states with the association of Krishi Vigyan Kendras. This
will provide improved seed to farmers at their doorstep.

3.

Soil Health Card - Soil Health cards are necessary to ensure that only requisite nutrients are applied in
the soil in a balanced manner to enhance productivity of specific crops in a sustainable manner. Soil Health
Cards (SHCs) shall be issued to all 14 crore holdings in the country. About 248 lakh samples are to be
analyzed in 3 years' cycle. This comes to about 83 lakh samples per year. Since 2007-08 to April 2014,
an amount of Rs. 112 crore was released to soil testing laboratories whereas after May 2014 onwards an
amount of Rs. 86 crore has been released. An amount of Rs. 568.54 crore has been approved to make
soil health cards available to 14.50 crore of farmers during next three years. Following uniform norms are
prescribed for sampling: In the irrigated areas, samples will be drawn in a grid of 2.5 ha; In rainfed areas,
sampling will be done in a 10 ha. grid.

GS

1.

Details in a Soil Health Card include:

Values on soil parameters such as pH, EC, N, P, K, S, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu & B.

Recommendation on appropriate dosage of fertilizer application based on test values and requirement
of crop, use of organic manures and soil amendments to acidic/alkaline/sodic soils.

Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) - The GOI has proposed an organic farming scheme "Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana". Aim of the project is to maximize the utilization of natural resources
through eco-friendly cultivation. Organic farming is a method of farming system which primarily aimed
at cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way, as to keep the soil alive and in good health by use
of organic wastes (crop, animal and farm wastes, aquatic wastes) and other biological materials along with
beneficial microbes (bio-fertilizers) to release nutrients to crops for increased sustainable production in an

Notes

4.

www.iasscore.in

eco friendly pollution free environment.

Groups of farmers would be motivated to take up organic farming under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas
Yojna(PKVY). Fifty or more farmers will form a cluster having 50 acre land to take up the organic farming
under the scheme. In this way during three years 10,000 clusters will be formed covering 5.0 lakh acre area
under organic farming. There will be no liability on the farmers for expenditure on certification. Every
farmer will be provided Rs. 20,000 per acre in three years for seed to harvesting of crops and to transport
produce to the market. During the 12th Five Year Plan, Rs. 1,495 crore will be required for this scheme.
Rs 300 crore has been allocated for the scheme during the year 2015-16. The Government has enhanced
subsidy amount from Rs. 100 to Rs. 300 per hectare to promote the use of organic fertilizers. A special
scheme with allocation of Rs. 100 crore has been launched in North-Eastern Region for promotion of
organic farming and export of organic produce.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) - In order to counter the adverse effects of climate
change and the vagaries of nature, India has undertaken a National Action Plan on Climate Change.
Another initiative in the direction is National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture which seeks to transform
Indian Agriculture into a climate resilient production system through suitable adaptation and mitigation
measures such as promoting location specific integrated/ composite farming systems, soil and moisture
conservation measures, comprehensive soil health management, efficient water management practices and
mainstreaming of rainfed technologies. Last budget GOI had announced 'Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee
Yojana' with the motto of water to every farm 'Har Khet Ko Paani'. The scheme is aimed at irrigating the
field of every farmer and improving water use efficiency to provide ''Per Drop More Crop'' .

SC
OR
E

5.

GS

PMKSY is for those regions which are not covered by earlier irrigation programmes like the Accelerated
Irrigation Programme Benefit (AIPB), which is meant to provide irrigation to the north-eastern states, other
hilly states like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, integrated action plan (IAP)
districts or districts affected by Left extremism and drought-prone areas. The scheme is fully centrally
funded, and would converge with rural development schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and other schemes of agriculture ministry and land resources
department.
The Government has proposed allocation of Rs. 5,300 crore to support micro-irrigation, watershed
development and the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
Program Components include:

Notes

6.

Creation/Repair/restoration / Renovation of water resources (Ministry of Water Resources).

Development, Strengthening and creation of Distribution Network from source to farm (Department
of Land Resources).

Promotion of efficient water conveyance and field application devices like Drip and Sprinklers
(Department of Agriculture & Cooperation).

DAC will be the Nodal Agency.

Promotion of National Market through Agri Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) - Central Sector Scheme
for Promotion of National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) for Rs.200
crores to be implemented during 2014-15 to 2016-17.

www.iasscore.in

The Scheme envisages initiation of e-marketing platform at the national level and will support creation of
infrastructure to enable e-marketing in 642 regulated markets across the country.
For creation of a National Market, a common platform across all States is necessary. It is, therefore,
proposed that a Service Provider be engaged centrally who would build, operate and maintain the eplatform on PPP (Build, Own, Operate, Transfer - BOOT) model. This platform would be customized/
configured to address the variations in different states.
As an initiative of deregulation, States have been advised by the Government of India to bring fruits and
vegetables out of the ambit of APMC Act. In pursuance of this advisory, 12 States have, so far, either
de-regulated the marketing of fruits and vegetables or have exempted from levying of market fee.
Price Stabilisation Fund - Department of Agriculture & Cooperation has approved the Price Stabilisation
Fund (PSF) as a Central Sector Scheme, with a corpus of Rs.500 crores, to support market interventions
for price control of perishable agri-horticultural commodities. The intervention is expected to regulate price
volatility through procurement by State Government and Central agencies of selected produce, maintenance
of buffer stocks and regulated release into the market.

SC
OR
E

7.

For this purpose, the States will also set up a revolving fund to which the States will provide matching
funds as released from the central corpus fund ie in the ratio of 50:50. The ratio of Centre-State contribution
to the State level corpus in respect of North East States will however be 75:25. The revolving fund is being
mooted so that requirements for all future interventions can be decided and met with at the State level
itself. Central Agencies will however set up their revolving fund entirely with the advance from the Centre.
Releases from the Central Corpus will be subject to prior setting up of the State level Corpus.
Rs 5 cr has been sanctioned to SFAC (Small Farmers'Agri-Business Consortium) to create a buffer stock
of 1800 mt of onions and 4000 mt of potatoes.
Also Rs 5 cr has been sanctioned to NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Fedration of
India Limited) to create buffer stock of 5000 mt of onions.
Agriculture credit to RIDF - The RIDF was set up by the Government in 1995-96 for financing ongoing
rural Infrastructure projects. The Fund is maintained by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD). Domestic commercial banks contribute to the Fund to the extent of their
shortfall in stipulated priority sector lending to agriculture. The main objective of the Fund is to provide
loans to State Governments and State-owned corporations to enable them to complete ongoing rural
infrastructure projects. The shortfall in disbursements of RIDF funds as compared to sanctions continues
to remain a matter of concern in the implementation of RIDF. The Government has taken a number of
steps to address this problem. The scope of RIDF has been widened to include activities such as rural
drinking water schemes, soil conservation, rural market yards, rural health centres and primary schools,
mini hydel plants, shishu shiksha kendras, anganwadis, and system improvement in the power sector. From
RIDF V onwards, the ambit was extended to projects undertaken by Panchayat Raj institutions and
projects in the social sector covering primary education, health and drinking water.

GS

8.

Notes

In order to support the agriculture sector with the help of effective agriculture credit and focus on small
and marginal farmers, the Finance Minister proposed to allocate Rs. 25,000 crore to the corpus of Rural
Infrastructure Development fund (RIDF) set up in NABARD, Rs. 15,000 crore for Long Term Rural
Credit Fund; Rs. 45,000 crore for Short Term Cooperative Rural Credit Refinance Fund; and Rs. 15,000
crore for Short Term RRB Refinance Fund. The Government has set up an ambitious target of Rs. 8.5
lakh crore of agricultural credit.

www.iasscore.in

The activities to be financed under RIDF include minor irrigation projects/micro irrigation, flood protection,
watershed development/reclamation of waterlogged areas, drainage, forest development, market yard/
godown, apna mandi, rural haats and other marketing infrastructure, cold storage, seed/agriculture/
horticulture farms, plantation and horticulture, grading and certifying mechanisms such as testing and
certifying laboratories, etc., community irrigation wells for irrigation purposes for the village as a whole,
fishing harbour/jetties, riverine fisheries, animal husbandry and modern abattoir.
9.

MUDRA Bank - The Finance Minister has proposed to create a Micro Units Development Refinance
Agency (MUDRA) Bank, with a corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore, and credit guarantee corpus of 3,000 crore,
which will refinance Micro-Finance Institutions through a Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana,. Priority will be
given to SC/ST enterprises in lending. MUDRA Bank will operate through regional level financing institutions
who in turn will connect with last mile lenders such as MFIs, Small Banks, Primary Credit Cooperative
Societies, Self Help Groups (SHGs), NBFC (other than MFI) and other lending institutions.

SC
OR
E

MUDRA Bank will refinance Micro-Finance Institutions through a Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY).
In lending, priority will be given to SC/ST enterprises. These measures will greatly increase the confidence
of young, educated or skilled workers who would not be able to aspire to become first generation
entrepreneurs; existing small businesses, too will be able to expand their activities. Since the MUDRA
Bank will be set up through an enactment of law and it will take some time.
10. Rashtriya Gokul Mission - India ranks first among the world's milk producing Nations are such 1998 and
milk production peaked at 137.97 million tonnes in 2013-14. India has the largest bovine population in
the world. The bovine genetic resource of India is represented by 37 well recognized indigenous Breeds
of cattle and 13 breeds of buffaloes. Indigenous bovines are robust and resilient and are particularly suited
to the climate and environment of their respective breeding tracts. Rashtriya Gokul Mission a project
under the National Program for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development is being launched with the
objective of conserving and developing indigenous Breeds in a focused and scientific manner. The potential
to enhance the productivity of the indigenous breeds through professional farm management and superior
nutrition, as well as gradation of indigenous bovine germplasm will be done with an outlay of Rs. 550
crores.

GS

11. Rail Milk Network - In order to promote Agri Rail Network for transportation of milk, overs have been
placed by AMUL and NDDB on behalf of Dairy Cooperative Federations for procurement of 36 new Rail
Milk Tankers and will be made available by Railways. This will help in movement of milk from milk
surplus areas to areas of demand providing dairy farmers with greater market areas.
12. Participatory Guarantee System: Participatory Guarantee System is a process of certifying organic products,
which ensures agriculture production process in accordance with the standards laid down for organic
products and that desired quality has been maintained. This is exhibited in the form of documented logo
or a statement. In order to promote domestic organic market growth and also to enable small and marginal
farmer to have easy access to organic certification, a decentralised organic farming certification system
called Participatory Guarantee System -India (PGS-India) is implemented by the Department of Agriculture
and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. It is cost-effective, farmer-friendly and
hassle-free. It is outside the framework of third party system of certification, which is a pre-requisite to
enter export market of organic produce.

Notes

It is a quality assurance initiative that is locally relevant with active participation of stakeholders, including
producers/farmers, traders and consumers in certification system. This group certification system is supported
by Paramaparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) scheme. It, in a way, supports domestic demand for organic
produce and trains farmers in document management and adherence to other requirements of certification
process and prepares him to opt for third party certification if he wishes to go for export.

10

www.iasscore.in

Government Initiatives in Agriculture Sector for Combating Climate Change

Agriculture is sensitive to short-term changes in weather and to seasonal, annual and long term variations in
climate. Crop yield is the culmination of a diversified range of factors. Parameters like soil, seed, pest and
diseases, fertilizers and agronomic practices exert significant influence on crop yield. The burgeoning population,
along with human-induced climate change and environmental problems is increasingly proving to be a limiting
factor for enhancing farm productivity and ensuring food security for the rural poor.
Agricultural productivity can be affected by climate change in two ways: first, directly, due to changes in
temperature, precipitation and/or CO2 levels and second, indirectly, through changes in soil, distribution and
frequency of infestation by pests, insects, diseases or weeds. Acute water shortage conditions, combined with
thermal stress, could adversely affect wheat and, more severely, rice productivity in India even under the
positive effects of elevated CO2 in the future.

Government initiatives are:

1.

SC
OR
E

The impacts of climate change on agriculture will therefore be severely felt in India. It has been projected that
under the scenario of a 2.5 C to 4.9 C temperature rise in India, rice yields will drop by 32% - 40% and wheat
yields by 41% - 52%. This would cause GDP to fall by 1.8% - 3.4%

National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change

The government allocated Rs 100 crore for the establishment of a "National Adaptation Fund" for climate
change. Adaptation in the agriculture sector means addressing the negative impacts of climate change and
making use of the opportunities that often come with a changing climate. The overall aim of adaptation in
agriculture is to reduce farmers' vulnerability and improve their adaptive capacity.
2.

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture

GS

The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture is one of the eight missions in India's National Action Plan
on Climate Change (NAPCC). It stresses how crucial agriculture is to India's economy and the livelihood of
its people, since the agriculture sector supports more than half the country's population of over 1 billion people.
The mission focuses on four areas that are relevant for the endeavours of India's agricultural sector to adapt
to climate change: dryland agriculture; risk management; access to information and use of biotechnology.
Priority actions for dryland agriculture with particular relevance to adaptation will be:

Developing drought and pest-resistant crop varieties;

Improving methods to conserve soil and water;

Conducting stakeholder consultations, training workshops and demonstration exercises to help farming
communities share and disseminate agro-climatic information;

Providing financial support to enable farmers to invest in and adopt relevant technologies to overcome
climate-related stresses.

Some of the priority actions in the field of agricultural risk management are:
Strengthening current agricultural and weather insurance mechanisms;

Development and validation of weather derivative models (by insurance providers, ensuring access to

Notes

11

www.iasscore.in

archived and current weather data);

Creating web-enabled, regional language based services to facilitate weather-based insurance;

Developing geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing based methodologies for detailed
soil resource mapping and land use planning at the level of a watershed or river basin;

Mapping vulnerable eco-regions and pest and disease hotspots;

Developing and implementing region-specific contingency plans based on vulnerability and risk scenarios.

3.

NABARD: Progressing Adaptation Actions

SC
OR
E

India's National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has been accredited as a National
Implementing Entity (NIE) for India for the Adaptation Fund created under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At present, NABARD is the only NIE in the Asia-Pacific Region.
In its capacity as NIE, NABARD has generated several feasible projects on climate change adaptation in
diverse agro-climatic regions and livelihood sectors, five of which have been submitted as proposals to the
Adaptation Fund amounting to USD 7.3 million.
The Adaptation Fund Board (AFB) has sanctioned the first set of two projects submitted by NABARD with
an outlay of USD 3.2 million for promoting climate resilient agriculture systems in West Bengal and enabling
the fisheries sector in Andhra Pradesh to respond to the challenge posed by sea level rise. Additionally,
NABARD is implementing several developmental projects to promote sustainable livelihoods through Natural
Resource Management (NRM) such as watershed development and sustainable livelihood for tribal communities,
which are helping build climate change resilience and adaptive capacities of rural communities.

GS

NABARD has sanctioned a pilot project of INR 21 Crore (USD 3.5 million) on climate change adaptation in
Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) to develop knowledge, strategies and approaches that will enable vulnerable
communities to adapt to the impending impacts of climate change such as delays in onset and withdrawal of
the monsoon, changes in temperature and unseasonal rainfall. Pilot projects on climate proofing of watersheds
in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan are also underway. NABARD has also financed projects that improve energy
efficiency. In the state of Karnataka, energy inefficient pumps were replaced by more efficient ones through
a loan assistance programme.
Under the NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA), NABARD is financing green investments
on solar power generation and improvement of electricity distribution networks, which includes India's first one
MW canal-top solar power project in the state of Gujarat. NABARD is collaborating with non-governmental
organisations, research institutions and government departments to conduct training programmes and workshops.
These are building the capacities of NABARD's partners and stakeholders to understand the adverse impacts
of climate change on natural and human systems and to design appropriate adaptation measures.
The experience gained by NABARD as NIE has enabled the institution to adopt processes and procedures that
are followed internationally in the development, review and sanctioning of projects. NABARD continues to
develop quality projects to create a pipeline of feasible projects that will help communities in India take
measures to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Technology Based Initiatives in Agriculture Sector

Notes

The Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored SchemeNational e-Governance Plan in Agriculture

(NeGP-A)in the entire country. In the agriculture sector the Programme aims to achieverapid development
of agriculture in IndiathroughICT enabledmultiple delivery channels such as Internet, Government Offices,
Touch Screen Kiosks, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Kisan Call Centres, Agri-Clinics, Common Service Centers,

12

www.iasscore.in

Mobile Phones (Broadcast, IVRS, interactive messaging using unstructured Supplementary Service Data and
Voice Recognitionfor ensuring timely access to agriculture related information for the farmers of the country.
A number of applications in agriculture and allied sector have been developed under the project for providing
integrated ICT based services to farmers. Some are discussed below:
Knowledge based information is being provided to farmers through a number of web and mobile based
applications. Officers, Scientists and Experts from all over the country are using this Portal for disseminating
information on various agricultural activities, giving topical & seasonal advisories and providing services
through SMSs to farmers in their local languages. SMSs classified into three categories, viz. information,
services and advisories. The content may include information about the Schemes, Advisories from Experts,
Market Prices, Weather Reports, Soil Test Reports, etc. The farmers registered for receiving SMS messages
have been grouped based on the State, District, Block and the Crops/Activities selected by respective
farmers. The SMS Portal provides a platform for integration of service delivery under different sectors viz.
Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries.

SC
OR
E

1.

Mobile based services for farmers and other stakeholders being delivered through organisations, Departments
and offices of Central & State Governments. down to the Block level (including State Agriculture Universities,
Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Agro-Meteorological Field Units) have been brought together under a single umbrella
viz. mKisan portal of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. Kisan Portal subsumes all mobile
based initiatives in the field of Agriculture & allied sectors.
This also includes Interactive Voice Response System, Unstructured Supplementary Services of Data or
USSD (which is essentially Interactive SMS and can facilitate data entry and query on Web Portals without
internet), Mobile Apps and Services.
Kisan Call Centres have been functioning since 21 January, 2004 and working in 14 different locations
covering almost all the states. All KCC locations are accessible by dialing single toll free number 1800180-1551 from 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM on all 7 days a week nationwide. With the improvement in the
quality of KCC services due to state of the art infrastructure and new technological features such as Voice
Media Gateway, Dedicated Internet Bandwidth, Provision of Voice Mail during call waiting period and
SMS to farmers (conveying gist of advisories given), number of calls flowing in to the Kisan Call Centres
has increased.

3.

AGRISNET: Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India

is implementing a Central Sector Plan Scheme "Strengthening/ Promoting Agricultural Informatics &
Communications" of which one of the component is AGRISNET. The objective of AGRISNET is to
provide improved services to the farming community through use of Information & Communication
Technology(ICT).

4.

Weather based Information regarding natural calamities disseminated to farmers under different
programmes: Weather based information on natural calamities like drought etc. is one of the identified
services under NeGP-A pertains to "Providing information on Forecasted Weather" and aims at providing
disaggregated District level information in each agro-ecological sub-region on forecasted weather and agromet advisories through multiple service delivery channels to the farmers (including SMS). Other services
are:

GS

2.

Weather related advisory service to farmers under Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) is being

Notes

a)

13

www.iasscore.in

implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra and India Meteorological

Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Services (MoES), Govt. of India.
Development of need based content on weather information and advisories to farmers has been
initiated by IMD, Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra and GIZ, New Delhi
under the project on "Climate Change Knowledge Network - Indian Agriculture (CCKN-IA)".

c)

Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) regularly (on monthly basis) carries out drought
assessment at District/sub-district level using satellite based remote sensing data, rainfall data and
ground information with respect to sowing progression, irrigation percentage, under the National
Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) programme etc. These
assessments are communicated to concerned Departments in States including Maharashtra and are
also available online on MNCFC website.

d)

IMD in consultation with SAUs, State Department of Agriculture (including Maharashtra) carries out
monitoring of drought and other calamities at district level based on the observed rainfall and other
parameters like Aridity Index, Standardised Precipitation Index, NDVI etc

SC
OR
E

b)

E-Governance initiatives in agriculture sector:

E-Choupal: Agriculture is the backbone of India. Indian farmers have to depend on many agents, right
from the process of procuring raw materials to selling their produce. Each agent will add his/her profit
margin, thereby increasing the cost of product. Some agents even try to block the market information. To
protect farmers from such practices, the International Business Division of Indian Tobacco Company
(ITC-IBD) came out with an e-government initiative called e-Choupal (which means a village meeting
place). E-Choupal is useful not only to the agricultural products but also for selling home appliances and
consumer goods. Each e-Choupal is equipped with a PC, internet connection, printer and Uninterrupted
Power Supplies (UPS). In case the power supply is erratic, a solar panel is provided and if internet
connectivity is not up to the mark, then a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) connection is provided
along with another solar panel to support that.

Akashganga: Akashganga uses ICT to facilitate rural milk producers by integrating all the operations of
rural co-operative society right from milk procurement to accounting. First pilot model of Dairy Information
System Kiosk (DISK) is currently under implementation at Uttarsanda Dairy Cooperative Society in
Gujarat. Each farmer is given a plastic identification card. When farmers arrive at the Raw Milk Receiving
Dock (RMRD) counter, his/her identification is updated in the PC. The milk is emptied out in a steel
trough kept over a weighbridge and the weight of the milk is displayed as well as entered into the PC.
One operator is required for filling of cans and another for measuring fat content and updating the PC.
The infrastructure used to carry out these operations includes weighing balance, microprocessor, printer,
milk analyzers and a display.

Tata Kisan Kendra (TKK): Tata Chemicals Ltd. came out with TKK to help farmers in states of Uttar
Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. The TKK tracks key parameters relevant to farmers, such as soil, ground
water and weather on a real-time basis with the help of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The GIS
software provides spatial information regarding roads, rivers or buildings. It works by imposing layers of
data in digitized maps with information about administrative, socio-economic and physical set-up. Satellite
image processing can help detect unproductive farming practices, track the progress of insect attacks across
states, get crop estimates or update maps. Currently there are 11 main kiosks and around 300 franchisees
TKKs and is looking to set up 40 more kiosks and 800 franchisees to serve 48,000 villages.

Jagriti E - Sewa: JAGRITI E - SEWA was inaugurated in March 2003. It touches the rural life with

Notes

GS

5.

14

www.iasscore.in

activities from agriculture, financial, travel, and e-government to communication services. The whole
system can be adapted to any language in the least possible time. JAGRITI is a platform for application
of Information technology for the masses, with special focus on the needs of rural areas. Its activities,
named as d - commerce (desi commerce), include both physical and electronic mode involvement.
Warana: The primary objective of the Wired Village project is to demonstrate the effective use of IT
infrastructure in the accelerated socio-economic development of 70 villages around Warana Nagar in the
Kolhapur and Sangli districts of the state of Maharashtra. The existing cooperative structure has been used
in concert with high speed VSATs to allow Internet access to existing cooperative societies. The project
aims to provide agricultural, medical, and education information to villagers by establishing networked
facilitation booths' in the villages.

Gyandoot Project: Gyandoot operates in Dhar District, a remote, tribal dominated, drought-prone area of
Madhya Pradesh. The district has a population of 1.7 million, 54% of whom are tribal and 40% living
below the poverty line. It is essentially an e-governance project whose main focus is to harness IT effectively
in order to improve governance at village, block and district levels. The focus is overall rural development
rather than exclusively agricultural development.

SC
OR
E

About a quarter of the services provided by the project are related directly to agricultural development
(such as agricultural best practices, market prices, online land registration certificates, the village auction
site, Ask the Expert). The prevailing prices of prominent crops (wheat, gram, soybean, etc., giving varieties)
at local and other auction centres of the country are available online. Other services include land registration
(Khasra) certificates to the farmers.

iKisan Project: iKisan is the ICT initiative of the Nagarjuna group of companies. iKisan was set up with
two components, the iKisan.com website, to provide agricultural information online, and technical centres
at village level.

GS

The project operates in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The operators of the iKisan technical centres
are agricultural graduates who act as the interface between the computer networks and the farmers. They
are there to provide both on- and off-line information services. They collect online information from the
iKisan.com website, and pass it on to the farmers. In addition, they assist farmers to access information
from the CDROM, comprising a vast database, with which each centre is provided.
The operators, being agricultural graduates, are able to diagnose, analyse and advise about diseases and
pests. With their knowledge of both agriculture and ICT, they probably constitute the best part of this
project. The major objective of iKisan is to provide need based wholly agricultural expertise at village
level, to increase the productivity of selected crops in selected regions.

Government Initiatives in Agricultural Marketing

Agricultural marketing is the critical link between agricultural production and farm sector revenue percolating
to the farmers. Apart from performing transferring agricultural goods to consumers it transmits the price signals
in the marketing chain.

Notes

In India, there are several central government organisations, who are involved in agricultural marketing like,
Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices, Food Corporation of India, Cotton Corporation of India, Jute
Corporation of India, etc. There are also specialised marketing bodies for rubber, tea, coffee, tobacco, spices
and vegetables.

15

www.iasscore.in

Although the regulation of commodity markets is a function of state government, the directorate of marketing
and inspection provides marketing and inspection services and financial aid down to the village level to help
set up commodity grading centers in selected markets.
Recent initiatives:
The Department of Agriculture (DAC) has issued a comprehensive advisory to states to go beyond the
provisions of the Model Act and declare the entire state a single market with one licence valid across the
entire state and removing all restrictions on movement of agricultural produce within the state.

In order to promote development of a common national market for agricultural commodities through eplatforms, the department has approved Rs. 200 crore for a central-sector scheme for Promotion of
National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) to be implemented during
2014-15 to 2016-17. Under the scheme, it is proposed to utilize the ATIF for migrating towards a national
market through implementation of a common e- platform for agrimarketing across all states.

On the request of the central government, a number of state governments have exempted the marketing
of fruits and vegetables from the purview of the APMC Act. The NCT of Delhi has taken the initiative
in this direction by issuing a notification ending the regulation of fruits and vegetables outside redefined
market yard/ sub-yard area of the APMC, MNI, Azadpur, APMC, Keshopur, and APMC Shahdara. The
Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) has taken the initiative for developing a kisan mandi in
Delhi with a view to providing a platform to FPOs for direct sale of their produce to prospective buyers
totally obviating or reducing unnecessary layers of intermediation in the process .They plan to scale their
activities in other states based on the outcome of the experience of the Delhi kisan mandi.

SC
OR
E

New Terminologies Associated with Agriculture Sector

1.

Hydroponics

2.

Aeroponics

GS

Hydroponics is when a person grow plants using nutrient solutions in water without soil. The roots may be in
a nutrient solution only or with gravel, perlite, mineral wool, or coconut husk.

Aeroponics is growing plants in an air/mist environment without soil. The roots of the plants are in an enclosed
area and are misted with a nutrient rich water solution. The stem and leaves are not enclosed. Growing plants
in this kind of controlled environment also helps reduce the threat of pests and disease and like
hydroponic,conserves water and energy and allows for rapid food production.
Air cultures optimize access to air for successful plant growth. Materials and devices which hold and support
the aeroponic grown plants must be devoid of disease or pathogens. A distinction of a true aeroponic culture
and apparatus is that it provides plant support features that are minimal. Minimal contact between a plant and
support structure allows for 100% of the plant to be entirely in air. Long-term aeroponic cultivation requires
the root systems to be free of constraints surrounding the stem and root systems. Physical contact is minimized
so that it does not hinder natural growth and root expansion or access to pure water, air exchange and diseasefree conditions.
3.

Integrated Nutrient Management (Fertilizers)

Notes

The main objective of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) Division is to ensure adequate availability of
quality fertilizers to farmers through periodical demand assessment and timely supply, promoting integrated
nutrient management, which is soil test-based judicious and balanced use of chemical fertilizers in conjunction

16

www.iasscore.in

with organic manures and bio-fertilizers, promotion of organic farming and ensuring quality control of fertilizers
through implementation of Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985.
Objectives
1.

Regulated nutrient supply for optimum crop growth and higher productivity.

2.

Improvement and maintenance of soil fertility.

3.

Zero adverse impact on agro - ecosystem quality by balanced fertilization of organic manures, inorganic
fertilizers and bio- inoculant

Advantages
Enhances the availability of applied as well as native soil nutrients

2.

Synchronizes the nutrient demand of the crop with nutrient supply from native and applied sources.

3.

Provides balanced nutrition to crops and minimizes the antagonistic effects resulting from hidden deficiencies
and nutrient imbalance.

4.

Improves and sustains the physical, chemical and biological functioning of soil.

5.

Minimizes the deterioration of soil, water and ecosystem by promoting carbon sequestration, reducing
nutrient losses to ground and surface water bodies and to atmosphere

4.

Integrated Pest Management

SC
OR
E

1.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an ecologically based strategy that focuses on long-term solution of the
pests through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of
agronomic practices, and use of resistant varieties. The aim of IPM is not to eradicate the pest population
completely but to keep the crop damage to economically tolerable level.
Biological control includes Natural predators, parasites and pathogens of the pests. Examples are:

Pest on cucumber plant called red spider mite is controlled by using a predatory mite that feed on red
spider mite.

Citrus fruits in California heavily damaged by scale insects which were controlled by Australian ladybird
which ate away the insects.

Mealy bug pest of Cassava plant were controlled by a parasitoid wasp which was its natural enemy.

Hormones are used that disrupt the insects normal life cycle, thereby preventing it from reaching maturity
and reproducing and multiplying.

b)

Cultivation practices like crop rotation, polyculture and inter cropping etc. can be used to get rid of the
pests.

c)

Some amounts of insecticides, mostly of plant origin (e.g. Pyrethrum and Rotenone neem product) are
applied as a last resort.

d)

Pest and disease resistant crop plants can be produced by genetic engineering. Example is Bt cotton,
insecticidal for bacterial gene (Bacilus thuringinesis) introduced into cotton plant making cotton plant
resistant to pest.

Notes

GS

a)

17

www.iasscore.in

5.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is a process which promotes the coordinated development
and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare in an
equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.
IWRM helps to protect the world's environment, foster economic growth and sustainable agricultural development,
promote democratic participation in governance, and improve human health. Worldwide, water policy and
management are beginning to reflect the fundamentally interconnected nature of hydrological resources, and
IWRM is emerging as an accepted alternative to the sector-by-sector, top-down management style that has
dominated in the past.

6.

SC
OR
E

The basis of IWRM is that the many different uses of finite water resources are interdependent. High irrigation
demands and polluted drainage flows from agriculture mean less freshwater for drinking or industrial use;
contaminated municipal and industrial wastewater pollutes rivers and threatens ecosystems; if water has to be
left in a river to protect fisheries and ecosystems, less can be diverted to grow crops. There are plenty more
examples of the basic theme that unregulated use of scarce water resources is wasteful and inherently
unsustainable.
System of Rice Intensification

The System of Rice Intensification involves cultivating rice with as much organic manure as possible, starting
with young seedlings planted singly at wider spacing in a square pattern; and with intermittent irrigation that
keeps the soil moist but not inundated, and frequent inter cultivation with weeder that actively aerates the soil.

Benefits of SRI

GS

SRI is not a standardised, fixed technological method. It is rather a set of ideas, a methodology for
comprehensively managing and conserving resources by changing the way that land, seeds, water, nutrients, and
human labour are used to increase productivity from a small but well-tended number of seeds. As Father de
Laulani observed, SRI is an amalgamation of multiple beneficial practices.

Higher yields - Both grain and straw;

Reduced duration (by 10 days);

Lesser chemical inputs;

Less water requirement;

Less chaffy grain percentage;

Grain weight increased without change in grain size;

Higher head rice recovery;

Withstand cyclonic gales;

Cold tolerance;

Soil health improves through biological activity.

Notes

18

www.iasscore.in

Disadvantages

Higher labour costs in the initial years;

Difficulties in acquiring the necessary skills;

Not suitable when no irrigation source available.

7.

Polyhouse Method of Cultivation

The polyhouses are constructed with the help of ultraviolet plastic sheets, so that they may last for more than
5 years. The structure is covered with 1501 m thick plastic sheet. The structure is prepared with the bamboos
or iron pipes.

SC
OR
E

The crops grown under the polyhouse are safe from unfavourable environment and hailstorm, heavy rains or
scorching sunshine, etc. Crops of the polyhouse can be saved from birds and other wild animals. The humidity
of polyhouse is not adversely affected by evaporation resulting in less requirement of water. In limited area
of polyhouse, insects and pests control is also easy and less expensive.
By adopting the modern technology of polyhouse, the difference in the demand and supply of off-season
vegetables and fruits etc. can be minimised. This facilitates in maintaining the quality of the product also.
8.

Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative

9.

Mega Food Parks

GS

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF) have partnered together to explore options for 'Improving the water productivity in agriculture'.
The Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) aims to: provide practical options to farmers for improving the
productivity of land, water, and labour reduce crop duration, providing factories a longer crushing season and
increased employment opportunities for workers reduce the overall pressure on water resources and ecosystems.
It stresses a practical approach that originates from farmers and civil society to improve productivity while
reducing pressures on natural resources. It's estimated that by adopting SSI, a farmer will be able to produce
at least 20% more sugarcane while reducing water inputs by 30% and chemical inputs by 25%.

The Mega Food Park is an inclusive concept which is aimed at establishing direct linkages from the farm to
processing and on to the consumer markets, through a network of collection centres and Primary Processing
Centres. Efficient logistics facilities will connect the collection centres to the primary processing centres, which
in turn will be connected to a central processing centre.
The Mega Food Park will have a Central Processing Centre as the nuclei of all value addition activities
facilitated by Primary Processing Centres, which will act as point of aggregation and primary handling to
provide ready to use raw materials to be processed further in the units to be set up in the CPC. The PPCs will
be fed by field Collection Centres which will be the first point of contact with growers. The collection centres
which will be managed by local entrepreneurs will serve as farm level aggregation points for adjoining areas
within a radius of about 10 Kms. The collection centres, while serving as the primary nodes for the Mega Food
Park network will also enhance farm level value realization by providing direct market access to the farmers.

Notes

The primary processing centres which will be located near natural aggregation points will serve a number of
collection centres lying in close proximity. The primary processing centres will provide facilities for storage,

19

www.iasscore.in

sorting grading cleaning etc. Some of the PPCs may also house facilities for carrying out primary processing
like pulping and juicing. Each primary processing centre will also have transportation facilities like refrigerated
vans, trucks etc for transportation of goods from the collection centres and to the central processing centre.
Storage facilities will include all weather warehouses and cold storage / modified temperature storages wherever
required.
The Central Processing facility will be an industrial park spread over an area of about 50 acres and will house
a number of processing units owned by different business houses. Developed plots of land will be provided
to the large and midsized units while Common Design Factory Sheds will be provided to small scale units. The
park will provide common facilities such as water, electricity and effluent treatment apart from specialized
facilities like cold storage, ware housing, logistics and backward integration through the network of primary
processing centres and collection centres.

SC
OR
E

10. Family Farming

Food and Agriculture Organisation has marked 2014 as International Year of Family Farming (IYFF). Family
farming includes all family-based agricultural activities, and it is linked to several areas of rural development.
Family farming is a means of organizing agricultural, forestry, fisheries, pastoral and aquaculture production
which is managed and operated by a family and predominantly reliant on family labour, including both women's
and men's.
Both in developing and developed countries, family farming is the predominant form of agriculture in the food
production sector.
At national level, there are a number of factors that are key for a successful development of family farming,
such as: agro-ecological conditions and territorial characteristics; policy environment; access to markets; access
to land and natural resources; access to technology and extension services; access to finance; demographic,
economic and socio-cultural conditions; availability of specialized education among others.

GS

Family farming has an important socio-economic, environmental and cultural role.

11. Ecological engineering for pest management
Ecological engineering for pest management has been introduced by National Institute of Plant Health
Management (NIPHM) to aid farmers maintain the biodiversity and keep pests under control while at the same
time maintaining the paddy eco-system.
Under this natural enemies which prey on the pests are allowed to flourish in the fields. This will not only
suppress the pest population but also enhances the soil health through organic bio-fertilizer utility.
12. Plant Health Clinic
Plant Health Clinics has been established for providing adequate diagnostic and advisory facilities to farmers
on time and also to facilitate eco friendly and scientific pest management strategies to increase production and
productivity. The Clinic also provides advisories and various field activities for the benefit of farming community.

Notes

The Clinic promotes various sustainable technologies such as Ecological Engineering, Agro Ecosystem Analysis,
On farm production of biocontrol agents etc along with regular pest and diseases diagnosis and surveillance
based advisories. The activities and outreach activities of the Plant Health Clinic are acting as a total solution
which strengthens the whole plant health system.

20

www.iasscore.in

13. New Irrigation Technologies

A. Drip Irrigation
It is defined as the precise, slow application of water in the form of discrete or continuous or tiny streams of
miniature sprays through mechanical devices called emitters or applicators located at selected points along
water delivery lines.
It is also called trickle irrigation. Drip irrigation is adopted extensively in areas of acute water scarcity and
especially for crops such as Coconut, Grape, Banana, Ber, Citrus, Sugarcane, Cotton, Maize, Tomato, Brinjal
and plantation crops. The advantages of drip irrigation are:
Controlled application of water as per the needs of plants at low pressure to limited soil areas (root zones).

b)

Water saving to the tune of 50 to 70 per cent by reducing the total evaporative surface, reduction in runoff
and controlling deep percolation losses.

c)

Soil erosion is minimal, due to no runoff water on surface.

d)

Weed growth is minimum.

e)

Water loss through transpiration is low.

f)

Development of surface crust and determination of surface soil structure is avoided.

g)

Soil compaction is less.

h)

Limited soil wetting permits undisturbed cultural practices.

i)

It is possible to obtain better yield and quality of crops by controlling soil moisture-air -nutrients level.

j)

The fertilisers can be saved by monitoring the supply of nutrients as per the need of the crop.

k)

Improvements in biological fertility can be achieved by avoiding pollution.

B.

Sprinkler Irrigation

GS

SC
OR
E

a)

Sprinkler irrigation system conveys water from the source through pipes under pressure to the field and
distributes over the field in the form of spray of 'rain like' droplets. It is also known as overhead irrigation.
Center-pivot system is largest sprinkler system with a single machine can irrigate upto 100 ha. A center - pivot
sprinkler consists of a series of sprinklers mounted on a lateral pipe, 50 - 800 m long, mounted or carried by
a row of five or more mobile towers.
One end of the lateral is fixed on a pivot pad. The unit rotates around a center pivot where water is pumped
into the pipe, and water is distributed through sprinkler fitted on lateral. The limitations of this system are- 10
- 20 % of area is not irrigated at the corners of square or rectangular plot; High energy requirement and huge
cost of the equipment.
Now lateral - move systems are developed to overcome the drawbacks in pivot-pivot system for irrigating
square or rectangular plots. This irrigation system consists of lateral - move systems, which move up and down
the field.
Sprinkler irrigation can be advantageously chosen in the following situations:
When the soil is too shallow eliminating the possibility of leveling of lands.

Notes

a)

21

www.iasscore.in

b)

When the land is too steep (> 1% slope).

c)

When light (< 5 cm) and frequent irrigations are to be given.

d)

When soils are very sandy (rapidly permeable coarse textured soils) and

e)

When supplemental irrigation is to be given to dry land crops during prolonged dry spells, without any land
preparation.

C.

Pitcher Irrigation

Advantages

SC
OR
E

Pitcher irrigation uses unglazed clay pots to distribute water by diffusion and capillary action through the wall
of the clay pot. Pitchers are less expensive per acre and much more effective than traditional means. Per cubic
meter of water, the buried clay pot method can produce 2.5 to 6 kilograms of total plant yield, compared to
1.4 kg with drip irrigation, 0.9 kg with sprinklers, and 0.7 kg in closed furrow irrigation systems (Bainbridge).
Pitcher irrigation has been shown to save 98.7 per cent of water used in sandy loam soils and with a seepage
rate of 88 percent in just over 24 hours. This water storage and slow, continuous irrigation technique allows
farmers to irrigate 5-acre fields with only a hand pump or other single source of water. The need for plowing
and weeding are also minimized as the water source is below the surface and does not allow for weeds to get
out of control.

Save over 90% of water over traditional irrigation methods;

It is less expensive in comparison to other methods;

It is easy to install, operate and maintain;

It has low to no environmental impacts;

It controls weeds growth;

It can be used in colder climates with lower air temperatures;

It minimize erosion by keeping the water underground.

14. Biofertilizers

GS

Bio-fertilizers are living or biologically active products or microbial inoculants of bacteria, algae and fungi
(separately or in combination) which are able to enrich the soil with nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, etc.
Following are some of the important types of bio fertilizers which can be considered for agro based industries.
Rhizobium Biofertilizer: Rhizobium is a symbiotic bacteria forming root nodules in legume plants. These
nodules act as miniature nitrogen production factories in the fields. The nodule bacteria fix more nitrogen
(N2) than needed by legume plant and the bacteria. The surplus fixed nitrogen is then secreted and fertilizes
the soil. Rhizobium is more efficient than-free living nitrogen-fixing bacteria and can fix upto 200 kg N/
ha/yr.

Azotobacter Biofertilizer: Azobacter are aerobic free living nitrogen fixers. They grow in the rhizosphere
(around the roots) and fix atmospheric nitrogen non-symbiotically and make it available to the particular
cereals. These bacteria produce growth promoting hormones which helps in enhancing growth and yield
of the plant.

Notes

22

www.iasscore.in

Azospirillium Biofertilizer: These are aerobic free living nitrogen fixers which live in associative symbiosis.
In this type of association bacteria live on the root surface of the host plant and do not form any nodule
with roots of grasses. It increases crop yield and its inoculation benefits crop. They also benefit the host
plants by supplying growth hormones and vitamins. These bacteria are commonly used for the preparation
of commercial inoculants.

Blue Green Algae: Blue green algae (BGA or cyanobacteria) like Nostoc and Anabaena are free living
phostosynthetic organisms also capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen. In the flooded rice fields blue green
algae serves as a nitrogen biofertilizer.

Azolla Biofertilizers: Azolla is a water fern inside which grows the nitrogen fixing blue green algae
Anabaena. It contains 2-3% nitrogen when wet and also produces organic matter in the soil. The AzollaAnabaena combination type biofertilizer is used all over the world. This can be grown in a cooler regions.
But there is a need to develop a strain that can tolerant to high temperature, salinity and resistant to pests
and diseases. Production technology is very easy and can be adopted by rice farmers. The only constraint
in Azolla is that it is an aquatic plant and water becomes limiting factor in growing it particularly in
summer.

Phosphorus Solubilising Biofertilizer: Phosphorus is an important element required for plant growth. This
element is also needed for nodulation by rhizobium. Some microorganisms are capable of solubilizing
immobilized phosphorus making it available to plants for absorption.

Mycorrhizal Fungi acts as Biofertilizer are known to occur naturally on roots of forest trees and crop
plants. In soils low in available nutrients there is an increased absorption of nutrients by plants infected
with Mycorrhiza. The fungus has the ability to dissolve and absorb phosphorus that plant roots can not
readily absorb.

15. Virtual Markets:

SC
OR
E

GS

One of the recent phenomena in agriculture marketing in India has been the advent of Virtual Markets. The
virtual market in the context of Agriculture Marketing may be defined as "an electronic market which enables
producers and buyers in the supply chain to access each other spread across the country, with a view of transact
at the most efficient and transparent prices, thereby reducing the cost of intermediation, improving marketing
efficiency and producers realisation coupled with reduction in consumer paid price". Example of such virtual
markets is Future exchange, Spot Exchange, Warehouse Receipt System and Web Marketing. The functions
of these markets are enabled by ICT based market information.
Out of the above forms of virtual markets, spot exchanges and negotiable warehouse receipt system effect
physical delivery of the goods and may therefore be recognised as more effective marketing instruments for
the primary producers.
Producers can hedge their goods or take pledge loans against the warehouse receipts so that they are not forced
to resort to distress sales. However today, the spot exchanges seem to be operating in a legal vacuum as there
is no specific law regulating them.

Notes

Some States have issued licenses to Spot Exchanges as a buyer under the existing APMC acts. There is a need
for Government of India to enact a legislation to enable spot exchanges to function on pan-India basis without
any conflict with State APMC laws.

23