Agri Info

 Women Development Programmes 

1. Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA)  (1982)

One of the women development programmes implemented in the country is the Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) programme launched during September 1982. This  programme is partly supported by United Nations International Children Emergency Funds (UNICEF) and is jointly  financed by Union and State Governments.  It operates in conjunction with IRDP (Integrated Rural Development Project)  and TRYSEM (Training for Rural Youth in Self Employment).  

DWCRA aims (objective) at ‘motivating and assisting women to engage themselves in a productive activity for earning a substantial income as well as to improve the quality of their own and children’s life’.  Thus, though the economic activity is the priority, the social betterment of the women and their children is also aimed at.  

Main features of this programme 

a. Women of identified poor families are organized into groups of 15-20 each for taking up income generating activities suited to their skills and aptitude. 

b. Group members are given training usually under TRYSEM 

c. One time grant of Rs.15, 000 is provided for each group as ‘revolving fund’ for purchase of raw materials, marketing, child care etc.  This amount is shared equally by Union and State Governments and UNICEF. d. Each group selects one of its members as group organizer who is to help women in the selection of economic activities suited to their skills and aptitude, procurement of raw materials etc. 

e. Besides engaging in economic activity, each group is expected to be recipient of benefits of other development and welfare programmes.

f. Multi-purpose centre are being set up to serve as the central place for the working of women groups.

The list of income-generating activities undertaken under the scheme are:  tailoring, embroidery, ready-made garments, pickle making, papad making, bakery products, candle making, soap making, chalk making, envelop making, match box making, knitting, weaving, basket making, agarbathi making, poultry, dairy, piggery, goat rearing, bee keeping, mushroom production, fruit and vegetables processing, etc.

2. Stree Shakti Yojana / SHG (2000-2001)

The Stree Shakti Yojana was launched by Government of India during 2000-2001. This programme is meant for rural women below poverty line covering landless women, women who are divorced, SC/ST families and women having  disabled members/drug addicts in the family. 

The Chief Minister is the Chairman and the Minister for Women and Child Welfare  is the Deputy Chairman for the Stree Shakti Yojana. At district level, Commissioner is the Chairman and the Assistant Director of Women and Child Welfare,  and District Officers are the members of the committee.  

At taluk level, taluk panchayat president is the Chairman and officers of the concerned Department  are the members of the committee. Anganawadi worker will extend co-operation for the first 6 months to work and manage, and after 6 months the Anganawadi workers only supervise the work

Major aims/objectives of the programmes includes :

• Strengthening the process of creating suitable atmosphere which could achieve financial progress and social status of women 

• Forming 1,00,000 Stree Shakti groups throughout the state during 2000-2001 and stimulating confidence and self dependence on them and making them able to have control over the financial resource 46

• Increasing the income of poor women by engaging them in income generation activities and creating financial stability among them and thereby achieving eradication of poverty

• Channelizing various departments in one direction to provide opportunities to get the benefits of development works of various departments to the members of women group and taking measures for availing loans.

 Agriculture Technology Information Centre (ATIC) 

ATIC has been conceived and put into practice since 1998-1999 under National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) sponsored by World Bank and implemented through 40 ICAR institutes and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) located in various parts of the country.

The rationale behind establishment of ATIC has been :

a) Providing diagnostic services for soil testing, plant and livestock health

 b) Supplying research products such as seeds and other planting material, poultry strains, livestock breed, fish seed and processed products etc., emerging from the institution for testing and adaptation by various clientele 

c) Disseminating information through published literature and communication material as well as audio visual aids, and 

d) Providing an opportunity to the institutes/SAUs to have resource generation through the sale of their technologies.

Objectives of ATIC:

a) To provide a single window delivery system for the products and species available from an institution to the farmers and other interested groups as a process of innovativeness in technology dissemination at the institute level.

 b) To facilitate delivery access to the farmers to the institutional resource available in terms of technology, advice, products etc., for reducing dissemination losses 

c) To provide mechanism for feedback from the users to the institute. 

d) To offer consultancy services to the different stake holders

It is expected that if ATIC works with its full vigor and mandated objective there will be no doubt that farmers of India will be able to accomplish their covered goal and produce more with quality and with reduced cost and  will be competitive partner in the agriculture market in the context of World Trade Organization and Globalization of agriculture. Not only ATIC will help farmers to use modern technology for demand driven agriculture but also helps in developing viable, responsible and sustainable agriculture with linkages among research, extension and farmers’ system. 

 Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) 

A Centrally Sponsored Scheme to provide support to State Extension Reforms was launched by ICAR during 1999. Under the Innovation Technology Dissemination (ITD) component of NATP, ATMA was implemented in the country. Initially, ATMA was implemented on a pilot basis in four districts of each of the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab. ATMA was launched under the guidance of National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad. On the basis of the evaluation report of Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow revealed that ATMA’s extension approaches have been proving to be promising in execution of the reforms and thus extended to other states of the country.

ATMA programme was launched in Karnataka during 2005-05 in districts namely, Bidar, Gulabarga, Koppal, Bijapur, Hassan,  Shimoga, Chamarajanagar and Kolar (undivided). During the year 2006-2007 ATMA programme was spread to Belgaum, Chitradurga, Chickamagalur and Kodagu districts. After 2007-2008, the remaining districts have been included under ATMA in the state.

ATMA is a registered society of key stakeholders (farmers, line/development departments, non government organizations, input dealers, mass media, agri-business companies, farmers organizations, etc.) involved in agriculture activities for sustainable agricultural development in the district. It provides flexible working environment and establishes effective integration of all the stakeholders at the district level.

Cafeteria of activities under ATMA includes;

a. Farmers oriented activities : 

(a)Developing Strategic and Extension Plan, 

(b) Organizing trainings, demonstrations and exposure visits etc.

 b. Farm information dissemination : 

(a) Organizing exhibitions, campaigns etc.,

(b) Information dissemination through printed leaflets/folders/bulletins etc, 

(c) Local advertisements etc

c. Research-Extension-Farmers linkage :

(a) Farmers scientists interaction, 

(b) Organising kissan gostis and field days, 

(c) Assessment, refinement and validation of front line technologies through Research centres/Krishi vignana kendras etc.,

d. Innovative activities  :

(a) Conducting farm schools, 

(b) Post graduate Diploma in Agriculture Extension Management, 

(c) Setting up of community radio station etc.

(e) Administrative expenses.

Objectives of ATMA

a. To strengthen Research-Extension-Farmers linkages 

b. To provide an effective mechanism for co-ordination and management of activities of different agencies involved in technology adoption/validation and dissemination at district level

c. To increase the quality and type of technologies being disseminated

d. To move towards shared ownership of the agricultural technology system by key stakeholders

e. To develop new partnership with the private institutions including non-government organizations.

f. Technology dissemination through farmers groups 

g. Increase agricultural production, productivity and income of farmers through intensification and diversification of agriculture production.

Specific features of ATMA are : 

• Demand driven farmer-based activities • Public private partnership for extension services

• Development of village level institutions like farmers associations, farmer’s interest groups or commodity interest groups.

• Creation of rural infrastructure and marketing

• Decentralized decision-making  and  bottom up approach

• Integrated farming system approach

• Market led addition

• Formation and strengthening of farmers’ interest group

• In-service training to increase staff competence.

Strategic Research and Extension Plan (SREP) Strategic planning in brief is ‘what is intended to be achieved in future’ and ‘how to get there’. Every district has to prepare the SREP for implementing ATMA in respective districts. The SREP is prepared through participatory methodologies such as Participatory Appraisal Techniques involving all the stake holders and farmers. 

The SREP contains detailed analysis of all the information on existing farming systems in the district and research-extension gaps required to be filled up. It also prioritizes the research-extension strategies within the district. It becomes the basis for development work plans at block/district level. 

State Extension Working Plan It is an annual plan based on Strategic Research and Extension Plan. It contains general and specific information about ATMA. It identifies the Extension and Research gaps and develops strategies to fulfill the Research and Extension gaps. It contains cafeteria of activities to be implemented each year. 

Advantages of ATMA:

• ATMA is more effective in technology dissemination as it encourages location-specific solutions keeping all the resources of the farmers in mind 

• ATMA seeks greater linkage with research and extension. ZRS must be more active in generating location specific and users friendly technologies.

• Involvement of women in both ATMA Governing body and Management Committee would bring about women empowerment. 

• Non –government organizations can a play a major role in educating farmers and also helps in formation of farmers organizations 

• ATMA has a effective feedback mechanism which help in better policy planning of the extension activities 

• The project director of ATMA could play a vita role in the coordination of the activities of sister departments in the district. He/she is the key person to ensure an integrated approach of technology generation, dissemination and utilization. 

  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

 Watershed Development Programme (WDP)

Watershed is defined as the drainage basin or catchment area of a particular stream or river. A watershed is a geo-hydrological unit which drains into a common point by a system of streams. The watershed approach is a project based ‘ridge and valley approach’ for insitu soil and water conservation. It is a land area that captures and conveys the over flow and runoff to an outlet in the main flow channel. The size of the watershed may vary from a few square meters to thousands of square kilometers. However, the sphere of ‘one watershed project’ is considered to be  500 ha land area. 

The components of the watershed development programmes includes:

 (1) Human resource development 

(2) Soil and land management, 

(3) water management, 

(4) afforestation, 

(5) pasture development, 

(6) agriculture development, 

(7) live stock management, and 

(8) rural energy management. 

Objectives of Watershed development programme : 

• Developing wastelands /degraded lands, drought prone and desert areas on watershed basis keeping in view the land capability, site conditions and local needs.

 • Promoting overall economic development and improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the resource poor sections inhabiting watershed areas.  

• Mitigating the adverse effects of extreme climatic conditions such as drought and desertification on crops, human and livestock population for their overall improvement. 

• Resorting ecological balance by harnessing, conserving  and developing natural resources ie., land, water and vegetation cover. 

• Encouraging village community for; 

(a) sustained community action for the operation   and maintenance of assets created,

(b) simple, easy and affordable technological solutions, and 

(c) employment and development of human and other economic resources of the villages.

The Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development is administering three area-based watershed programmes for development of wastelands/degraded lands namely, Drought Prone Areas Programmes (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP) and Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP) to check the diminishing productivity of wasteland and loss of natural resources.

The DPAP was launched in 1973-74 to tackle the special problems faced by those areas that are constantly affected by drought conditions. Presently, 972 blocks of 195 districts in 16 29

States are covered under the Programme. DDP was launched in 1977-78 to mitigate the adverse effects of desertification. Presently, 235 blocks of 40 districts in 7 States are covered under the Programme. IWDP has been under implementation since 1989-90. The projects under the IWDP are generally sanctioned in areas that are not covered under DDP or DPAP.

Watershed projects are implemented by District Rural Development Agencies/Zilla Parishads (DRDAs/ZPs) through Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs). PIAs could be a Line Department (of the State Government), Panchayati Raj Institutions or a reputed NGO. 

One Project Implementation Agency (Could be Line department of the State Government) handles 10-12 watershed projects covering an area of about 5000-6000 hectares. The PIA is required to maintain a technical team of 4 experts called Watershed Development Team (WDT) . Individual projects (500 hectares) are planned and executed by the local people living in the watershed area called the Watershed Association (WA) through an elected body called Watershed Committee (WC).

The Department of Land Resources has brought out a new initiative called ‘Hariyali’ with an objective of empowering PRIs both financially and administratively in implementation of Watershed Development Programmes. Under  the Haiyali, all ongoing area development programmes namely, Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP), Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and Desert Development Programme (DDP) are to be implemented through the PRIs.

 New projects under the aforesaid area development programmes are being implemented in accordance with the guidelines for Hariyali from 1 April 2003. Projects sanctioned prior to this date shall continue to be implemented as per the Watershed Development Guidelines of 2001.

In the new arrangement (Hariyali), Gram Panchayats shall implement projects under overall supervision and guidance of Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs). In case, these Panchayats are not adequately empowered, then the Zilla Panchayat can either act as PIA itself or may appoint a suitable Line Department like Agriculture, Forestry /Social Forestry, Soil Conservation, etc., or an Agency of the State Government/ University/Institute as PIA. 

Failing these options, the ZP/DRDA may consider appointing a reputed Non-Government Organization (NGO) in the district with adequate experience and expertise in the implementation of watershed 30 projects or related area development works as the PIA after thoroughly examining their credentials.

The Project Implementing Agency (PIA) will provide necessary technical guidance to the Gram Panchayat for preparation of development plans for the watershed through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) exercise, undertake community organisation and training for the village communities, supervise watershed development activities, inspect and authenticate project accounts.

Other major programmes now being implemented through this approach are the National Watershed Development Project in Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) and the Watershed Development in Shifting Cultivation Area (WDSCA) of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Institutional Village Linkage Programme (IVLP)

  Institutional Village Linkage Programme (IVLP) for Technology Assessment and Refinement (TAR) The IVLP was initiated on a pilot basis in 1995.

 It was implemented in 42 centres of selected Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes and State Agricultural Universities.

 The salient feature of IVLP programme is that it is an innovative program developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to help scientists to have direct interaction with the farming community so that appropriate technologies are developed for farmers. 

Here research, extension and farmers establish firm links by carrying together the assessment and refinement functions in the technology development and dissemination process. This helps the research system to generate a cafeteria of technologies, which are more productive in small 27 production system, more profitable in commercial production system and gender sensitive for removal of drudgery of farmwomen. Research and Extension are the integral part of Technology Development (IVLP).

The major objectives of IVLP as per ICAR guidelines are as follows:

 1. To introduce technological intervention with emphasis on stability and sustainability along with productivity of small production systems.

2. To introduce and integrate the appropriate technologies to sustain technological interventions and their integration to maintain productivity and profitability taking environmental issues into consideration in a comparatively well defined production system. 

3. To introduce and integrate the appropriate technologies to increase the agricultural productivity with marketable surplus in commercial on and off-farm production systems. 

4. To facilitate adoption of appropriate post-harvest technologies for conservation and on farm value addition to agricultural products, by-products and waste for greater economic dividend and national priorities. 

5. To facilitate adoption of appropriate technologies for removal of drudgery, increase efficiency and higher income of farm women. 

6. To monitor socio-economic impact of the technological intervention for different farm production system. 

  High Yielding Varieties Programmes (HYVP) (1966)

 The severe drought in 1965-66 resulted in steep decline in production of food grains. The Government of India (GOI) had to resort to import of cereals in much larger quantities than usual during the last several years. Fortunately, agricultural scientists in the world had been successful in evolving new varieties of seeds of some cereals, particularly in wheat, rice and maize.

 Through Dr. Norman Borloug, the country imported a number of high yielding wheat varieties 26from Mexico for experimentation. While, high yielding rice varieties were made available from International Rice Research Institute, The Philippines and Indian agricultural scientists evolved high yielding strains of maize, millets and sorghum.

HYVP was launched in 1965-66 with an objective/promote increasing cultivation of high yielding varieties (HYVs) which  helped the country in attaining self-sufficiency in food recorded higher yields.

 The technological development did not remain confined to the introduction of high yielding crop varieties alone. These were combined with the application of balanced fertilizers, irrigation, plant protection, farm implements etc. which made a ‘green revolution’ possible in the country . The pervasive influence of high yielding technology spread to other areas of farm production such as animal production,   fishery, sericulture, social forestry etc.

Punjab, Haryana and Western parts of Uttar Pradesh were initially selected for the phased launching of this strategy.  The cultivation of High yield variety since 1966-67 had resulted in a substantial increase in food grains production. 

 Wheat production was doubled.  Rice production also had a substantial increase, though not as much as in the case of wheat. The target of coverage of 2.5 crore hectares of area under High yielding varieties of cereals and millets under fourth five year plan was exceeded.  The coverage was more than four crore hectares.

However, the success were confined to irrigated areas and better off farmers. The regional imbalance and disparity were glaring.

  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

 Extension Education Important One liner