Accused of not being able to contain farm distress, Minister of State Gajendra Singh Shekhawat says the government has been taking various initiatives to create awareness among farmers about new techniques through various programmes.
He listed several programmes including extension reforms, Mass Media Support to Agricultural Extension, Kisan Call Centers, Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centers, Exhibitions/Fairs, etc. “A Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms’ popularly known as ATMA Scheme is being implemented in 676 districts of 29 states & 3 UTs of the country, including all the districts of Maharashtra & Jharkhand”, he said.
Under the Scheme, Grants-in-aid is released to the State Governments {In the ratio of 60:40 (Centre:State) to General States, 90:10 for North-Eastern & 3 Himalayan States and 100% for UTs} with an objective to support State Government’s efforts to revitalize their extension system and making available the latest agricultural technologies and good agricultural practices in different thematic areas, the Minister added.
The extension activities include farmers training, demonstrations, exposure visits, Kisan Mela, mobilization of Farmers Groups and organizing Farm Schools, etc.
Shekhawat also said that as per the results of ‘Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households’ conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in 2013, about 63.5 percent of the agricultural households in the rural areas of the country reported cultivation as their principal source of income. Details of the number of farmers still following age old practices are not available in the Survey.