Agricultural Development Programme | Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) (1960)

  Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) (1960) 

In order to stop the import of food grains and to make the country self-sufficient, IADP was adopted for higher agricultural production and for creating marketable surplus. 

The Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) was launched in the country during 1960. This programme was popularly known as a "package programme".  This name was given because of the collective and simultaneous application or adoption of all technologies/practices such as: improved seeds, irrigation, fertilizer, plant protection, use of improved farm  implements etc.

This programme was started during July 1960 in seven selected districts during the first phase  in various states.  

The districts covered were :

 (i) West Godavari in Andhra Pradesh,

 (ii) Sahabad in Bihar, 

(iii) Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, 

(iv) Raipur in Madhya Pradesh,

 (v) Ludhiana in Punjab,

(vi) Pali in Rajasthan and 

(vii) Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh. 

 IADP was implemented in 21 districts during the second phase.  

The criteria for selection of  districts for the programme were : 

a) Districts with high potentiality for increasing the yield at short time ie., with assured irrigation facilities and minimum natural hazards

 b) Districts with well developed Panchayats and Co-operatives

 Special features of IADP:

 a)Tto provide factors of production simultaneously, timely and adequately 

b) Essential inputs like seeds, fertilizers, plant protection chemicals, etc. to be made available at adequate quantity and on time 

c) Credit to be provided to any farmer who joins the programme and has the potential to get increased yield 

d) More agricultural and cooperative staff to be posted 

e) Periodical training to staff 

f) Analysis and evaluation of the programme

Objectives of IADP:

a) To achieve rapid increase in the level of agriculture production through a concentration of financial, technical, extension and administrative resources;

b) To achieve a self-generating breakthrough in productivity and to raise the production potential by stimulating the human and physical process of change; and c) to demonstrate the most effective ways of increasing production and thus, to provide lessons for extending such intensified agricultural production programmes to other areas.

Achievements of IADP:

 a) IADP created a new dynamism in the farming community, greatly enhanced the use of technical inputs and also contributed to the growth of marketing and storage facilities as well as supporting services. 

b) Technical assistance was given to farmers in preparing production plans 

c) The cultivators were provided simultaneously with all supplies and services at right time and in adequate quantities through cooperatives 

d) Credit was given to all who had their  production plans and participated in the programme

e) Marketing and storage facilities were developed with in bullock cart distance

 f) Covered all the important cash  crops grown in the districts and  emphasis was laid on the increase in food production.

Short comings of IADP: 

a) Educational approach to reach farmers was lacking. 

b) Poor training to staff 

c) Staff were not clear about the methods to reach the cultivators 

d) Posting of staff was not adequate and timely 

e) Seed testing, soil testing and workshops were not functioning to the required level 

f) Transport and land development programmes were not  satisfactory