Drawing lessons from back-to-back natural calamities and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agriculture department is seeking to overhaul the manner in which schemes and projects are implemented in the State’s farm sector.
During the 2022-23 fiscal, the thrust will be on increasing productivity and farmer incomes through the adoption of technology and developing robust marketing networks, while staying true to the concept of farming in harmony with nature, according to the draft annual plan for 2022-23 drawn up by the department.
The number of schemes will be pared down to 12 to improve efficiency in implementation. Most of the projects are expected to be implemented in convergence with those of the Local Self-Government department (LSGD) on a 50% fund-sharing basis.
Major spending proposals include ₹324.28 crore for area expansion of all major crops, ₹127 crore for rice development, ₹53 crore for vegetable production, ₹14.5 crore for fruits and ₹48.9 crore for the coconut sector.
Cafeteria model
Projects will be implemented on a flexible ‘cafeteria model’ allowing for interchangeability of sub-components within the schemes with respect to Agricultural Ecological Unit (AEU)-based requirements. Greater emphasis will be placed on integrated farming methods, value addition and marketing. Schemes based on agro-ecological zones (AEZ) are planned to avoid adverse effects on the agricultural sector, according to the department.
The devastating impact of the natural calamities and the pandemic on the farm sector and food security underscore the importance of food self-sufficiency and farming in harmony with nature, the draft noted. Keeping this in mind, the 2022-23 plan is aimed at solving “problems in the agricultural sector by incorporating the ideas of real farmers.”
The State’s per-hectare productivity of paddy, coconut, vegetables, fruits and nutricereals is lower than that of the southern states and the national average, the draft said, citing 2017-18 figures.
Low productivity, coupled with price fluctuations, has resulted in a progressive reduction of farmers’ income, it noted.
Among other things, the department also hopes to eliminate duplication of vegetable area expansion schemes carried out by various agencies under it and the LSGD.
