Indian Government at all Ministry levels announces Welfare Schemes for a cross section of the society from time to time. These schemes could be either Central Sector, Centrally Sponsored, State specific or a joint collaboration between the Centre and the States. In this article, we have attempted to provide you an easy and single point access to information about several welfare schemes of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare.
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today has given its approval to a new pan India Central Sector Scheme-Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. The scheme shall provide a medium - long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management Infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support.
Under the scheme, Rs. One Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Marketing Cooperative Societies, Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Group (SHG), Farmers, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Agri-entrepreneurs, Startups, Aggregation Infrastructure Providers and Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public Private Partnership Project (Check Below, this has been modified and Few More sections have been added)
Loan Disbursal Timeline - Loans will be disbursed in four years starting with sanction of Rs. 10,000 crorein the current year and Rs. 30,000 crore each in next three financial years.
Interest Subvention - All loans under this financing facility will have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of Rs. 2 crore.
This subvention will be available for a maximum period of seven years. Further, credit guarantee coverage will be available for eligible borrowers from this financing facility under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to Rs. 2 crore. The fee for this coverage will be paid by the Government.
Moratorium for repayment under this financing facility may vary subject to minimum of 6 months and maximum of 2 years.
Budget Outflow - The total outflow as budgetary support from Government of India (GoI) will be Rs.10,736 crore:
Scheme Duration - The duration of the Scheme shall be from FY2020 to FY2029 (10 years)
Latest Modification in Scheme :-
Cabinet approves modifications in Central Sector Scheme of financing facility under ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’
Eligibility has now been extended to State Agencies/APMCs, National & State Federations of Cooperatives, Federations of Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) and Federations of Self Help Groups (SHGs).
At present Interest subvention for a loan upto Rs. 2 crore in one location is eligible under the scheme. In case, one eligible entity puts up projects in different locations then all such projects will be now be eligible for interest subvention for loan upto Rs. 2 crore. However, for a private sector entity there will be a limit of a maximum of 25 such projects. This limitation of 25 projects will not be applicable to state agencies, national and state federations of cooperatives, federations of FPOs and federation of SHGs. Location will mean physical boundary of a village or town having a distinct LGD (Local Government Directory) code. Each of such projects should be in a location having a separate LGD code.
For APMCs, interest subvention for a loan upto Rs. 2 crore will be provided for each project of different infrastructure types e.g. cold storage, sorting, grading and assaying units, silos, et within the same market yard.
The power has been delegated to Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to make necessary changes with regard to addition or deletion of beneficiary in such a manner so that basic spirit of the scheme is not altered.
The period of financial facility has been extended from 4 to 6 years upto 2025-26 and overall period of the scheme has been extended from 10 to 13 upto 2032-33.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)
The PMKSY not only focuses on creating sources for assured irrigation, but also creating protective irrigation by harnessing rain water at micro level through ‘Jal Sanchay’ and ‘Jal Sinchan’.
PMKSY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 2015.
PMKSY has been approved for implementation across the country with an outlay of Rs.50,000 crore during 2015-2016 to 2019-2020
Fund Sharing – Fund sharing between Centre- States will be 75:25 and in the case of the north-eastern region and hilly states, it will be 90:10 and for UT it will 100%.
PMKSY : Components and responsible Ministries/ Departments
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme(AIBP) – It is being implemented by Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- To focus on faster completion of ongoing Major and Medium Irrigation including National Projects.
PMKSY - Har Khet ko Pani: being implemented by Ministry of Jal Shakti
- Creation of new water sources through Minor Irrigation (both surface and ground water)
- Repair, restoration and renovation of water bodies; strengthening carrying capacity of traditional water sources, construction rain water harvesting structures (Jal Sanchay);
- Command area development, strengthening and creation of distribution network from source to the farm;
- Improvement in water management and distribution system for water bodies to take advantage of the available source which is not tapped to its fullest capacity (deriving benefits from low hanging fruits). At least 10% of the command area to be covered under micro/precision irrigation.
- Diversion of water from source of different location where it is plenty to nearby water scarce areas, lift irrigation from water bodies/rivers at lower elevation to supplement requirements beyond IWMP and MGNREGS irrespective of irrigation command.
- Creation and rejuvenation of traditional water storage systems like Jal Mandir (Gujarat); Khatri, Kuhl (H.P.); Zabo (Nagaland); Eri, Ooranis (T.N.); Dongs (Assam); Katas, Bandhas (Odisha and M.P.) etc. at feasible locations.
PMKSY -Watershed: being implemented by Department of Land Resources, MoRD
- Water harvesting structures such as check dams, nala bund, farm ponds, tanks etc.
- Capacity building, entry point activities, ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, nursery raising, afforestation, horticulture, pasture development, livelihood activities for the asset-less persons and production system & micro enterprises for small and marginal farmers etc.
- Effective rainfall management like field bunding, contour bunding/trenching, staggered trenching, land levelling, mulching etc.
PMKSY- Per Drop More Crop (PMKSY- PDMC): Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare is implementing PMKSY- PDMC which is operational in the country from 2015-16.
- The PMKSY- PDMC focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation viz Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation System.
- Programme management, preparation of State/District Irrigation Plan, approval of annual action plan, Monitoring etc.
- Promoting efficient water conveyance and precision water application devices like drips, sprinklers, pivots, rain-guns in the farm (Jal Sinchan);
- Topping up of input cost particularly under civil construction beyond permissible limit (40%), under MGNREGS for activities like lining inlet, outlet, silt traps, distribution system etc.
- Construction of micro irrigation structures to supplement source creation activities including tube wells and dug wells (in areas where ground water is available and not under semi critical /critical /over exploited category of development) which are not supported under PMKSY (WR), PMKSY (Watershed) and MGNREGS.
- Secondary storage structures at tail end of canal system to store water when available in abundance (rainy season) or from perennial sources like streams for use during dry periods through effective on-farm water management;
- Water lifting devices like diesel/ electric/ solar pumpsets including water carriage pipes.
- Extension activities for promotion of scientific moisture conservation and agronomic measures including cropping alignment to maximize use of available water including rainfall and minimize irrigation requirement (Jal sarankchan);
- Capacity building, training for encouraging potential use water source through technological, agronomic and management practices including community irrigation.
- Awareness campaign on water saving technologies, practices, programmes etc., organization of workshops, conferences, publication of booklets, pamphlets, success stories, documentary, advertisements etc.
- Improved/innovative distribution system like pipe and box outlet system with controlled outlet and other activities of enhancing water use efficiency.
Soil Health Card Scheme
The International year of soils was celebrated in 2015 the same year India’s unique programme of soil health card was launched on February 19 to assess the nutrient status of every farm holding in the country.
Soil Health Card Scheme was launched by PM Modi on 19.02.2015 at Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
Soil Health Card (SHC) is a Government of India’s scheme promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
It is being implemented through the Department of Agriculture of all the State and Union Territory Governments
SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings. It will contain the status of his soil with respect to 12 parameters, namely N,P,K (Macro-nutrients) ; S (Secondary- nutrient) ; Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo (Micro - nutrients) ; and pH, EC, OC (Physical parameters)
Soil samples will be drawn in a grid of 2.5 ha in irrigated area and 10 ha in rain- fed area with the help of GPS tools and revenue maps.
It will be made available once in a cycle of 2 years, which will indicate the status of soil health of a farmer’s holding for that particular period.
Since 2015, around 6.04 lakh demonstrations, 36928 farmer’s trainings and 7425 farmers melas are organized/conducted under the programme. Along with state/ district agriculture machinery and panchayats, village level rural development workers like Krishi Sakhis, Pasu Sakhis are involved in educating farmers on right use of fertilizers.
Apart from SHC, Government is also implementing Soil Health Management (SHM) scheme to augment soil samples testing capacity in the country through setting up / strengthening of soil testing laboratories.
So far, 11531 new labs (491 static, 107 mobile, 8811 minilabs and 2122 village level labs) and strengthening of 829 labs have been sanctioned to the states.
Soil Health Management (SHM) is one of the most important interventions under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture(NMSA).
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Government Scheme through MCQs : Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare
