Farmers training: Many programmes different numbers

The number of farmers trained by government has increased significantly in at least one programme, if the figures given in the Lok Sabha are any indication.

In a recent reply to a question, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, said training was given to 5.11 lakh farmers under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) till December 3 of 2019-20 as against 3.42 lakh for the whole of 2018-19. This amounts to a growth of 49.48 per cent over the full financial year of 2018-19.

He said NFSM is being implemented in identified districts of 28 States and two Union Territories (UTs) of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir to increase the production and productivity of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and nutri cereals (millets) through area expansion and productivity enhancement.

However, the numbers related to farmers training give a different picture in the case of Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).

The Minister said 1,942 farmers have been trained in MIDH till December 3 of 2019-20 as against 1.91 lakh for whole of 2018-19. MIDH, which is a Centrally-sponsored scheme, is being implemented for holistic growth of the horticulture sector, covering fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo. All States and UTs are covered under MIDH. Another Centrally-sponsored scheme on ‘Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms’, which is popularly known as Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) scheme, is under implementation in 684 districts and five UTs. According to the Minister, 7.73 lakh farmers were trained under ATMA till December 3 of 2019-20 as against 19.18 lakh for whole of 2018-19.

ATMA scheme promotes decentralised extension system with the objective of supporting State governments’ efforts to revitalise the extension system and making available the latest agricultural technologies and good agricultural practices in different thematic areas of agriculture and allied areas to farmers. The extension activities under ATMA include farmers’ training, demonstrations, exposure visits, kisan melas, mobilisation of farmers groups, and organising farm schools, etc.

The Minister said that 15.75 lakh farmers were trained in various thematic areas by Krishi Vijnan Kendras (KVKs) during 2018-19. It did not give figures for the current financial year.

As many as 716 KVKs of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have mandate of technology assessment, demonstration and capacity development of farmers. KVKs are imparting training to farmers for getting higher agricultural production and income.

Four Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes (FMTTIs) in the country have trained 5723 candidates till December 3 of 2019-20 as against 9905 for the whole of 2018-19.

These FMTTIs –– which are located at Budni in Madhya Pradesh, Hissar in Haryana, Ananthapur in Andhra Pradesh, and Biswanath Chariali in Assam – are engaged in imparting training to various categories of trainees, including farmers, in the field of farm mechanisation.