RKVY-Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana Gets Quantum Jump in Funds

The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) will be implemented in the coming year (2011-12) with a budget of Rs. 7860 crore and nine sub-schemes. This represents a quantum jump in funds from Rs. 6775 crore in 2010-11 and wide expansion in the scope of the scheme.

Sharing the progress of implementation of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana with the Parliamentary Consultative Committee here today, Agriculture Minister, Shri Sharad Pawar informed that the mega programme for agricultural rejuvenation will continue to allow full flexibility and authority to the States even after its expansion.

The RKVY will now have nine sub-schemes. Three of the sub-schemes were introduced in 2010-11 and will be continued this year also. The sub-schemes are as follows:

i. Extending Green Revolution to the Eastern Region of the Country. This sub-scheme gets an allocation of Rs. 400 crore and targets improvement in the rice based cropping systems of Assam, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

ii. Integrated Development of 60,000 Pulses Villages in Rainfed Areas. This sub-scheme aims at attaining self-sufficiency in production of pulses within the next three years. An amount of Rs.300 crores has been proposed to promote 60,000 pulses villages in rainfed areas for increasing crop productivity and strengthening market linkages.

iii. Promotion of Oil Palm. It seeks to achieve a major breakthrough, special attention will be paid to oil palm as it is one of the most efficient oil crops. Accordingly, an amount of Rs. 300 crores has been provided to bring 60,000 hectares under oil palm plantation, by integrating the farmers with the markets.

iv. Initiative on Vegetable Clusters. Growing demand for vegetables will be met by a robust increase in the productivity and market linkage. For this purpose, an efficient supply chain will be established, to make quality vegetables available at competitive prices. An amount of Rs.300 crores has been provided for this.

v. Nutri-cereals. To promote balanced nutrition, higher production of bajra, jowar, ragi and other millets will be promoted. Additionally, projects will be taken up to upgrade their processing technologies and create awareness regarding their health benefits. This initiative would provide market linked production support to ten lakh millet farmers in the arid and semi-arid regions of the country. The programme would be taken up in 1000 compact blocks covering about 25,000 villages. Outlay for this programme is Rs. 300 crores.

vi. National Mission for Protein Supplements. This Mission is being launched with an allocation of Rs.300 crores to take up activities to promote animal based protein production through livestock development, dairy farming, piggery, goat rearing and fisheries in selected blocks.

vii. Accelerated Fodder Development Programme. To accelerate the production of fodder through intensive promotion of technologies to ensure its availability throughout the year, Rs. 300 crores have been provided for Accelerated Fodder Development Programme. It will benefit farmers in 25,000 villages.

viii. Rainfed Area Development Programme. This programme aims at improving productivity of crops in rainfed areas.

ix. Saffron Mission. This programme aims at revival of saffron cultivation in Jammu & Kashmir. It gets an allocation of Rs. 105 crores during 2011-12.

The Ministers of State for Agriculture, Shri Arun Yadav and Shri Harish Rawat were also present in the meeting. MPs who participated in the meeting included Shri Sharief-ud-din Sharif, Shri M. Krishnaswamy, Shri K.P. Dhanapalan, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Smt. Santosh Chowdhary of Lok Sabha, Shri Govindrao Adik, Shri VikramVikram Verma, Dr. K.P. Ramalingam, Shri T.M. Selvaganapathi, Smt. Mohsina Kidwai, Smt. Renubala Pradhan, Smt. Kusum Rai and Ms Mabel Rebello of Rajya Sabha.