Agriculture

National Agriculture Development Programme/ Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana

In spite of plethora of programmes being implemented by the state and the central authorities for development of agriculture, agriculture still languishes with a very poor rate of growth in the country as a whole and more so in a state like Jharkhand. What has lacked is a comprehensive outlook for development in the sector improvement taking agro-climatic conditions, natural resource and technology into account, and integrating livestock, poultry and fisheries in a more integrated manner. A lot therefore remains to be done at the state and the central level with full involvement of all the stakeholders including the public and the private sector. National Development Council, in its meeting dated 29 May 2007, considering the need for accelerating agriculture and allied sector, resolved that a special Additional Central Assistance Scheme be launched. The Scheme has been named as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The scheme has been introduced to incentive States to draw up plans for their agriculture sector more comprehensively, taking agro-climatic conditions, natural resource and technology into account, and integrating livestock, poultry and fisheries more fully. This new scheme for Additional Central Assistance to State Plans would be administered by the Union Ministry of Agriculture over and above its existing Centrally Sponsored schemes, to supplement the State specific strategies including special schemes for beneficiaries of land reforms. The Department of Agriculture, GOI in compliance of the above resolution and in consultation with the Planning Commission, prepared the guidelines for the RKVY Scheme according to which the Scheme would be a State Plan Scheme. The eligibility for assistance under the scheme would depend upon the amount provided in State Plan budgets for agriculture and allied sectors over and above the base line percentage expenditure incurred by the State Governments on agriculture and allied sectors. The base line would be a moving average and the average of the previous three years would be taken into account for determining the eligibility under the Scheme, after excluding the fund already received. The RKVY funds would be provided to the States as 100% grant by the Central Government. The States are required to prepare the Agriculture Plans for the districts and the State that comprehensively cover resources and indicate definite action plans.

OBJECTIVE of Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

Food grain production at the National Level has come to a near stagnation over the last few years due to various reasons ranging from soil erosion to floods to lack of technological breakthrough in agriculture. In response to the crisis and ensuring food security, the government at the national level is now focussing on the concept of “bridging the yield gap”. The concept means that if a State has reached the maximum yield level for a particular crop, the attention should be focussed on other States where the potential remains to be tapped. This is the area where Jharkhand can substantially contribute to raise the agricultural production level because of it’s untapped potential. In this backdrop the importance of placing agricultural infrastructure in place, timely and adequate flow of credit as well as effective capacity building measures can change the scenario and place Jharkhand in the National Map. This can be achieved by preparing district specific agricultural plans with well spelt-out policies, realistic objectives, effective organizational/ institutional linkages and a blending of planning from below and above. This would facilitate meaningful and sustained rural development by taking into account available resources, local needs and requirements to meet the challenge.

The activities going on in District under RKVY-

• Arhar Promotion Programme
• Distribution of Shankar Dhan
• Seed Distribution
• Promotion of agriculture through SRI Method
• Construction of Vermi Compost Unit
• Wasteland development programme
• INSIMP
• Construction of 100MT Pacs/Lamps Godown
• Construction of Agriculture technical Information Centre (ATIC)
• Seed Treatment Programme

Kisan Credit Card

Kisan Credit Card Scheme is state government sponsored scheme and the beneficiary under this is both individual and community and the benefit is loaning. Target under KCC for the FY 2012-13 is 56850 and the KCC distributed is 5902 through different banks.

Allied Sectors

• Horticulture
• Animal Husbandary
• Fishery
• Soil Conservation
• District dairy development
• ATMA
• APMC
• Tasar Centre
• KVK(Krishi Vigyan Kendra)