INTRODUCTION

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) was launched under the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture, Govt of India from 2007-08 with an aim to achieve 4% annual growth in the agriculture sector during the XIth Plan period. By virtue of enhanced investments, agriculture and allied sector could achieve an annual growth rate of 3.64% during the XIth Plan against a growth rate of 2.46% per annum in the Xth Plan period.

Honorble President in his address to the joint Session of the Parliament of 16thLok Sabha indicated that “Each drop of water is precious. Government is committed to giving high priority to water security. It will complete the long pending irrigation projects on priority and launch the "Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana" with the motto of "Har Khet Ko Paani". There is a need for seriously considering all options including linking of rivers, where feasible; for ensuring optimal use of our water resources to prevent the recurrence of floods and drought. By harnessing rain water through "Jal Sanchay" and "Jal Sinchan", we will nurture water conservation and ground water recharge. Micro irrigation will be popularised to ensure "Per drop-More crop" .

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is implemented in the State of Assam from 2016. Through PMFBY the government of Assam primarily aims to expand crop insurance in Assam.

The scheme also seeks to provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crops due to natural calamities, pests and diseases. In addition, PMFBY proposes to stabilize the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming.

Farmer share of premium up to 1 ha of insured area is fully subsidized by Assam Government. It means farmer growing notified crop on up to 1 hectare of land, would be able to get crop insurance for Rs 1 only.

Introduction

Introduction

(i) Agricultural land area in the world has limit, but the demand for food is ever increasing due to population growth. To increase productivity in the limited land so as to meet the expanding demand arising from population growth as well as higher income is very important mission.

(ii) The task assumes greater importance to India, than the rest of the world considering that India accounts for 2.4% of the worlds geographical area and 4% of its water resources, but has to support 17% of the worlds human population and 15% of the livestock.

(iii) To increase productivity, timely and precise field work is necessary. To make it possible, agricultural machines take an important role.

(iv) Among the states, farm power availability in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and western part of Rajasthan is higher than the National average of 1.84kW/ha. In rest of the country, especially in Eastern and North-East Regions, it is significantly lower which necessities promotion of farm mechanization as a special Mission.

(v) Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) will be implemented in accordance with guidelines described hereunder.

(vi) The scheme will be implemented in all the states, to promote the usage of farm mechanization and increase the ratio of farm power to cultivable unit area up to 2 kW/ha.

(vii) SMAM will have Central Sector Schemes under component No.1 & 2. Centrally Sponsored Schemes are covered under component No. 3 to 8 in which Government of India contributes 60% and states contribute 40%. Funding pattern for states of Northern-Estern and Himalayan region, the share of Govt. of India & State Govt. is 90:10.

Considering the special observation on the existing fertile soil and favourable climatic conditions in North Eastern Region, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India has launched a Central Sector Scheme named as Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region during 12th Plan period. Realizing the potential of organic farming in the region North East, the scheme aims at development of certified organic production in a value chain mode to build up a bridge between growers with consumers and to support the sustainable development of entire value chain starting from inputs, seeds, planting materials, certification, to the creation of facilities for collection, post harvest management, aggregation, processing marketing and brand building initiative with an out lay of Rs. 400 crores for the three years from 2015-16.

The main motive of this scheme is to ensure safe and healthy food to everyones plate. Growing demands of population, industrialization and globalization has made a significant need of organic farming in the country. The utmost increasing demands in the sector likely to focus on the North Eastern region for organic agriculture. North Eastern Region being traditionally an organic hub, it has tremendous potential for development of organic farming because of its mostly rain-fed and hilly areas, existing of mighty rivers Brahmaputra and Barak, fertile soil and mountainous terrain etc. with the help of those legacies the region can boost in organic agriculture.

Keeping in view, focusing on the supporting development of entire region the scheme “Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER)” is being implemented in Assam with following objectives.

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has been formulated for enhancing agricultural productivity especially in rainfed areas focusing on integrated farming, water use efficiency, soil health management and synergizing resource conservation.

NMSA derives its mandate from Sustainable Agriculture Mission which is one of the eight Missions outlined under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The strategies and programmers of actions (POA) outlined in the Mission Document, that was accorded in principle approval by Prime Ministers Council on Climate Change (PMCCC) on 23.09.2010,aim at promoting sustainable agriculture through a series of adaptation measures focusing on ten key dimensions encompassing Indian agriculture namely; "Improved crop seeds, livestock and fish cultures",  "Water Use Efficiency",  "Pest Management", "Improved Farm Practices", "Nutrient Management", "Agricultural insurance", "Credit support", "Markets", "Access to Information" and "Livelihood diversification". During XII Five Year Plan, these measures are being embedded and mainstreamed onto ongoing/proposed Missions/ programmes / Schemes of Dept. of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC&FW) through a process of restructuring and convergence. NMSA architecture has been designed by converging, consolidating and subsuming all ongoing as well as newly proposed activities/programmes related to sustainable agriculture with a special emphasis on soil & water conservation, water use efficiency, soil health management and rainfed area development. The focus of NMSA will be to infuse the judicious utilization of resources of commons through community based approach.

The National Development Council (NDC) in its 53rd meeting held on 29th May, 2007 adopted a resolution to launch a Food Security Mission comprising rice, wheat and pulses to increase the production of rice by 10 million tons, wheat by 8 million tons and pulses by 2 million tons by the end of the Eleventh Plan (2011-12). Accordingly, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, National Food Security Mission (NFSM), was launched in October 2007. The Mission is being continued during 12th Five Year Plan with new targets of additional production of food grains of 25 million tons of food grains comprising of 10 million tons rice, 8 million tons of wheat, 4 million tons of pulses and 3 million tons of coarse cereals by the end of 12th Five Year Plan.