Indian Economy, 5th edition (36 page)

NATIONAL HORTICULTURE
MISSION(NHM)

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 recognised that growing horticulture crops is now an ideal option to improve livelihood security, enhance employment generation, attain food and nutritional security, and increase income through value addition. Over the years, there have been noticeable achievements and significant improvement in the production and productivity of various horticulture crops.

The NHM scheme was launched
43
during the Tenth Plan for
holistic development
of the horticulture sector, duly ensuring
forward
and
backward linkages
by adopting a
cluster approach,
with the active participation of all the stakeholders. The supply of quality planting material through establishment of nurseries and tissue culture units, production and productivity improvement programmes through area expansion and rejuvenation, technology promotion, technology dissemination, human resource development, creation of infrastructure for post-harvest management and marketing in consonance with the comparative advantages of each state/region and their diverse agro-climatic conditions are the major programmes of the Mission. A major initiative has been taken during 2011-12 for enhancing the supply of good quality vegetables to metro cities under the
Vegetable Initiative in Urban Clusters (VIUC).

NATIONAL BAMBOO MISSION(NBM)

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. It 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
44
. 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. 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.

National Agricultural Policy,
2000
45

Union Government has announced new National Agricultural Policy in the parliament on July 28, 2000. This policy has been planned under the provisions of
World Trade Organisation
so as to face the challenges of agriculture sector. This policy gives emphasis on promoting agricultural exports after fulfilling domestic demand. The salient features
46
of this policy are:

•
Four per cent growth rate p.a. for the next two decades.

•
Four per cent growth rate p.a. target to be achieved by 2005.

•
Land reforms to provide land to poor farmers.

•
Consolidation of holding in all states of the nation.

•
Promoting private investments in agriculture.

•
To provide insurance umberalla for crops to farmers.

•
To promote bio-technology.

•
Promoting research for developing new varieties and ensuring protection to the developed varieties.

AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE

There are various major crop insurance schemes under implementation in the country:

(i)
National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS):
The NAIS is a government-sponsored central-sector crop insurance scheme being implemented in the country since 1999-2000 season (the erstwhile
Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme
-
CCIS
of 1985 was merged into it) with the
objective
of providing financial support to farmers in the event of failure of crops as a result of
natural calamities, pests, and diseases.
The Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd. (AICIL) is the implementing agency for the Scheme. At present, the scheme is being implemented by 25 states and two UTs
47
.

(ii)
Modified NAIS (MNAIS):
With the aim of further improving crop insurance schemes, the MNAIS is under implementation on
pilot basis
in 50 districts in the country from rabi 2010-11 season. Some of the major improvements made in the MNAIS are
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–

•
Actuarial premium
with
subsidy in premium
at different rates

•
All claims liability to be on the insurer

•
Unit area of insurance reduced to village panchayat level for major crops

•
Indemnity for prevented/sowing/planting risk and for post-harvest losses due to cyclone

•
On account payment up to 25 per cent advance of likely claims as immediate relief

•
More proficient basis for calculation of threshold yield, and

•
Allowing privatesector insurers with adequate infrastructure

Only upfront premium subsidy is shared by the central and state governments on 50: 50 basis and claims are the liability of the insurance companies. The scheme has been notified by 17 states by now.

(iii)
Pilot Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS):
Being implemented as a central-sector scheme from kharif 2007 season. The scheme
49
is intended to provide protection to farmers
against adverse weather incidence,
such as deficit and excess rainfall, high or low temperature, and humidity that are deemed to adversely impact crop production. This is based on actuarial rates of premium but to make the scheme attractive, premium actually charged from farmers has been restricted to be on a par with the NAIS.

(iv)
Krishi Shramik Suraksha Yojana:
The multi-benefit scheme
50
for the agricultural workers, commenced on July 1, 2001, provides life insurance protection, lump sum survival benefit and pension to those who were between the age of 18–50 years- functions on group-basis with minimum of 20 members. No new lives are added even under existing schemes at the time of renewal. Gram Panchayat acts as the nodal agency and with the help of NGO/SHG or any other agency which identify the agricultural workers.

(v)
Farm Income Insurance Scheme:
The Scheme
51
commenced in January 2004 for providing insurance safeguards and economic security to farmers- run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Indian Agriculture Insurance Company Ltd. jointly:

•
Provides
‘broader risk insurance’

•
Conceived to provide income protection to the farmers by integrating the mechanism of
insuring production
as well as
market risks

•
Farmer’s income is protected by ensuring minimum guaranteed income.

•
Subsidy in premium payment.

•
Available for all the States and compulsory for farmers availing crop loans.

NAIS will be withdrawn for the crops covered under it but would continue to be applicable for other crops.

(vi)
Varsha Bima (Rainfall Insurance Scheme):
Introduced in 2004 south-west monsoon period –
covers
all natural rainfal risks and provides
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five different options suiting varied requirements of the farming community:

•
Seasonal rainfall insurance based on aggregated rainfall from June to September

•
Sowing failure insurance based on rainfall between June 15 and August 15

•
Rainfall distribution insurance with the weightage assigned to different weeks between June and September

•
Agronomic Index constructed on the basis of water requirements of crops

•
A catastrophe option covering extremely adverse deviation of 50 per cent and above in rainfall during the season

This scheme
covers
all natural Rainfal risks at the following stages:

•
Failure of seed crop either in full or in part due to natural risk

•
Loss in expected raw seed yield

•
Loss of seed crop after harvest

•
At seed certification stage

EXTENSION SERVICES

The Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms Scheme was launched in 2005-06, aiming at making the extension system farmer driven as well as accountable to farmers by providing for new institutional arrangements for technology dissemination. This has been done through setting up of Agricultural Technology Management Agencies (ATMA) at district level to operationalise the extension reforms. The ATMA has active participation of farmers/farmer groups, nongovernment organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders operating at district level and below. Gender concerns are being mainstreamed by mandating that 30 per cent of resources on programmes and activities are utilised by women farmers and women extension functionaries.

Certain
other schemes
53
which support agriculture sector are:

•
Mass media support
to agriculture focusing on Doordarshan infrastructure and All India Radio (AIR) broadcasting agriculture-related information;

•
Kisan Call Centres
(KCC) to provide agricultural information to the farming community through toll free telephone lines;

•
Agri-clinic
and
agribusiness
centres by agriculture graduates to provide extension services to farmers on payment basis through setting up of economically viable self–employment ventures, and information dissemination through agri fairs;

•
Extension education institutes
at
Nilokher
(Haryana),
Rajendra Nagar
(Andhra Pradesh),
Anand
(Gujarat), and
Jorhat
(Assam) are operating at regional level to improve the skills and professional competence of extension field functionaries of agriculture and allied departments;

•
There are
model training courses
on thrust areas of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, and fisheries with the objective of improving the professional competence, upgrading the knowledge, and developing technical skills of subject matter specialists/extension workers of agriculture and allied departments; and

•
MANAGE
,
Hyderabad, an apex Institute at the national level, provides training to middle and senior level officers of agriculture and allied departments of the states/UTs
54
.

NATIONAL MISSION FOR
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
(NMSA)

The NMSA, launched in 2011-12,
aims
at enhancing food security and protection of resources such as land, water, biodiversity, and genetic resources by developing strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to climate change
55
. The
Economic Survey 2011-12
discusses the
Impacts of Climate Change on Indian Agriculture
in the following points:

•
Indian agriculture, with two-third rainfed area remains vulnerable to various vagaries of monsoon, besides facing occurrence of drought and flood in many parts of the country. Natural calamities such as drought and flood occur frequently in many parts of the country.

•
Climate change will aggravate these risks and may considerably affect food security through direct and indirect effects on crops, soils, livestock, fisheries, and pests. Building climate resilience, therefore, is critical.

•
Potential adaptation
strategies
to deal with the adverse impacts of climate change are –

(i)
Developing cultivars tolerant to heat, moisture, and salinity stresses;

(ii)
Modifying crop management practices; improving water management;

(iii)
Adopting new farm practices such as resource-conserving technologies;

(iv)
Crop diversification; improving pest management;

(v)
Making available timely weather-based advisories;

(vi)
Crop insurance; and harnessing the indigenous technical knowledge of farmers.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has initiated a scheme on
National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA).
The initiative has been planned as a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional effort covering crops, livestock, and fisheries and focusing mainly on adaptation and mitigation of climate change in agriculture. It also has a component for demonstration of climate-coping technologies on farmers’ fields in 100 most vulnerable districts. State-of-the-art infrastructure is being set up at key research institutes to undertake frontier research on climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Second Green Revoution

Use of all eco-friendly means in cultivation is the Second Green Revolution or Evergreen Revoultion or Sustainable Agriculture. For experts
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it includes the agricultural practices such as,

(i)
replacing chemical fertilisers by bio-fertilisers;