National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP)
The National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) is a dynamic instrument of introducing major changes in the Agricultural Research and Extension systems of the country, besides developing their capabilities to meet future challenges. The project was initiated by Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India with the financial assistance of World Bank and would be implemented with the assistance of National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management (MANAGE) in 28 districts covering 7 states, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab over a period of 5 years (1998-2003).
The World Bank assisted National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) aims at improving Research and Extension services.
The Research component of NATP is being implemented by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Extension component by the Department of Agriculture and Co-operation. The different Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) involved in implementation of the
Innovations in Technology Dissemination (ITD) component of NATP are:
(1) Directorate of Extension of SAUs,
(2) National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), NATP cell at State Headquarters,
(3) State Agricultural Management Extension Training Institute (SAMETI), and
(4) Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) at District level.
The Extension component termed as "Innovations in Technology Dissemination (ITD)” envisages an integrated extension delivery at district level and is being pilot tested in seven participating states, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab. The ITD component has been planned, which aims at developing a transfer of technology (TOT) system that is demand driven, well integrated with research and financially sustainable and accountable to stake holders of agricultural development.
The purpose of the ITD component is to test new approaches to :
(a) technology transfer,
(b) new organizational arrangements, and
(c) operational procedures.
One of the goal is to decentralize decision making to the district level through the creation of Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) as a registered society.
Objectives of NATP:
• Increase the quality and type of technologies disseminated through
- Location specific technology development
- Diversification and intensification of farming systems
- Use of sustainability enhancing technologies
• Enable research and extension systems to become demand driven and responsible for solving problems of farmers
• Strengthen Research-Extension-Farmers (R-E-F) linkages
• Increase financial accountability of the system
• Shared ownership of Agricultural Technology System (ATS) by key stake holders ie., farmers especially poor, women and disadvantaged, public sector research and extension agencies like ICAR, SAUs, Department of Agriculture etc.
To operationalise NATP, it proposes the following interventions:
(1) Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Agriculture Technology Information Centre (ATIC), Remandating selected Zonal Research Stations and Strengthening Zonal Co-ordination Units (ZCUs) and Directorate of Extension (DoEs) of State Agricultural Universities
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