The Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri Nihal Chand has said that at present, Urea is provided to the farmers at the statutory price of Rs 5360 per MT fixed by the Government whereas 22 grades of Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) fertilizers namely DAP, MOP, MAP, TSP, Ammonium Sulphate, SSP & 16 grades of complex fertilizers are provided to the farmers at subsidized prices which are much below their production cost/delivered cost.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, Shri Nihal Chand, though the prices of P&K fertilizers are fixed by the fertilizer companies at reasonable level, the Government monitors the prices of P&K fertilizers through web based Fertilizer Monitoring System (FMS). In this regard, the P&K fertilizer companies are required to submit the certified cost data of their fertilizer product while claiming subsidy. They have also been directed to enter the same MRPs printed on the bags as applicable for each State in the FMS
The Minister said fertilizers have been placed under Essential Commodity (EC) Act 1955. As per policy, the fertilizer companies are required to print Maximum Retail Price (MRP) along with applicable subsidy on the fertilizer bags clearly. Any sale above the printed MRP is liable for punishment under EC Act.
NSK/NN
(Release ID :106651)
Focus on Providing Information to Farmers about Improved Agricultural Technologies
Most of the Centrally Sponsored and Central Sector Schemes implemented
by the Government focus on extending benefits of modern agricultural technology
to small and marginal farmers either by way of having preferential norms of
assistance for them or emphasize on certain percentage of allocation to be
spent on them or earmark resources based on number of small and marginal
farmers. These extension efforts are then supplemented by robust delivery
mechanism.
Main extension system mandated for dissemination of technologies
among farmers is operated by the State Governments. However, in order to
assess, refine and demonstrate latest technologies in farmer’s field, the
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has created a network of 638
Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the country. During the year 2013-14, the KVKs
have conducted as many as 33791 On-farm trials and 1.71 lakh Frontline
Demonstrations on farmers field and updated the knowledge and skills of 16.06
lakh farmers.
Ongoing initiatives which focus on
providing knowledge and information to farmers
1.
Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension
(SMAE) under National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology
(NMAET)
i)
Support to State Extension Programme for
Extension Reforms “ATMA” – a Scheme which was
launched in 2005. The initiative is currently under implementation in 639
District of 29 States and 3 UTs. The focus is on promoting decentralized
farmer-driven and farmer- accountable extension system through an institutional
arrangement for technology dissemination in the form of an Agricultural
Technology Management Agency (ATMA) at district level which is responsible for
extending the benefits of latest agricultural technologies in different
thematic areas to the farmers including small and marginal farmers through
various extension activities namely Farmers Training, Demonstration, Exposure
Visit, Kisan Mela, Mobilization of farmer groups and Setting up of Farm
Schools. Over 290 lakh farmers have been benefited under this scheme since
inception in 2005-06 to 2013-14.
ii)
Mass Media Support to Agricultural Extension and Focused Publicity Campaigns has been strengthened to reach out to all farmers including small
and marginal. The Audio & Video Spots and success
stories are being aired through All India Radio, Doordarshan and Private
Channels operating at the National and Regional Level. The other component of the mass media initiative is use of 96 FM
Transmitter of AIR to broadcast area specific agricultural programmes with 30
minutes radio transmission in the evening six days a week. Focused
Advertisement Campaigns which cut across all the Divisions of the Ministry have
been continuing since July 2010. The campaigns are being launched through print
as well as electronic media to create awareness about the assistance available
under various schemes of the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation.
iii)
Agri-Clinic and Agri-Business Centres: The Scheme provides extension services to
farmers including small and marginal farmers on payment basis through setting
up of economically viable self – employment ventures by the candidates provided
agri-preneurship training for a period of two months. The
scheme has turned out to be an efficacious and cost effective mode of providing
extension services to the farmers. Since
inception of the scheme 38364 unemployed agriculture Graduates have been
trained and 15626 agri-ventures have been set up to June, 2014.
iv)
Information dissemination through Agri
Fairs: The farmers are being provided information
related to the modern agricultural technologies through National, State and
Regional level Exhibitions/ Fairs.
v)
Kisan Call Centres (KCCs) Agriculture related information is provided to the farmers through
Kisan Call Centres having toll free telephone lines accessible through all
mobile phones and landlines of all telecom networks including private service
providers. Replies to the farmer’s queries are given in 22 local languages
between 6.00 am to 10.00 pm on all seven days of the week. The KCCs set up at
14 locations have been restructured to provide various technological innovations
such as Voice/Media Gateways (IPPBX based decentralized system); Dedicated MPLS
leased line network with dedicated bandwidth; Call barging; SMS to caller
farmers providing a gist of advisories given to them on phone Voice mail
system for recording farmer’s queries during idle time of KCC or during call
lines busy, with provision for call back to the caller etc. Since inception of
the scheme, over 158.10 lakh calls have been received till May, 2014.
vi)
Kisan SMS Portal
was launched during July, 2013 to send information, provide services and give
advisories to farmers in their local language, in respect to their location and
for preference of crops/ agricultural practices, market prices, weather
reports, soil test reports etc. The system is capable of sending messages in
regional languages also. More than 106.13 crore SMSs (considering 2.7 SMSs for
one message) have been sent to farmers in 11 months since launch of SMS Portal.
The registered farmers have been grouped based on the State, Districts, Block
and the Crops/ Activities selected by farmers.
2.
Sub-Mission on Agricultural
Mechanization (SMAM) under National Mission on
Agricultural Extension and Technology (NMAET) promotes strengthening of
agriculture mechanization through training, testing, distribution of post
harvest technology and management, providing financial assistance for
procurement of agricultural machinery and equipment, for establishing farm
machinery banks, high-tech, high productive equipments for custom hiring and
also promoting farm mechanization in selected village.
3.
National Mission on Oil Seeds and Oil
Palm (NMOOP) Under National Mission on Oil Seeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) assistance is provided to State
Department of Agriculture/Horticulture for all types of farmers including small
and marginal farmers for block demonstration, Farm Field School (FFS),
training, supply of improved farm implements, plant protection
equipments/chemical etc.
4.
National project on Organic farming is benefiting small and marginal farmers by promoting organic
farming through various programme namely National Project on Organic Farming
(NPOF) under NMSA, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH),
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and network project on organic farming
under ICAR.
5.
National Mission for Sustainable
Agriculture is providing financial assistance for
promotion of organic inputs on farmers field @500/- per hectare. Assistance is
provided @200/- per farmer subject to maximum of Rs. 5000/- per group for
organic village adoption for manure management. Under NMSA focus is being
given on Integrated Farming System with appropriate Resource Conservation
technologies for enhancing productivity and minimizing risk associated with
climatic variability. Mission also promotes advance technologies like
micro-irrigation, green house etc. for small and marginal farmers with specific
pattern of assistance.
6.
National Food Security Mission (NFSM): Under National Food Security Mission, Cluster demonstration on
direct seeded rice/line transplanting/SRI; drainage management in waterlogged
areas on Rice-Wheat system, demonstration on front-line technology on hybrid
varieties, distribution of improved varieties/hybrids, plant and soil
management, agricultural mechanization, resource conservation techniques/energy
management, efficient water/application tools, cropping system based trainings
are being provided. Under the Mission, Pulses demonstrations of production and
protection technologies on village level compact blocks for enhanced production
of pulses as well as motivating farmers to take up pulses production are also
being undertaken. The awareness generated through demonstration to the farmers
has triggered substantial increase in the use of high yielding varieties of
wheat and rice. Capacity Building to the farmers is through Farmer Field
Schools which help farmers in adoption of new/ modern agricultural
technologies.
This information was given today by the Minister
of State for Ministry of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan in a written
reply to Lok Sabha question.
MP:SS:CP ( Agri.tech) 15.07.2014 Loksabha
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