(a) whether any scheme has been drawn by the Government to promote agriculture in the special requirement area including Fatehpur-Sikri which has difficult terrain and semi-arid characteristics and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether any new types of seeds have been developed for such areas which have high-yield and less water requirements; and
(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
???? ??? ????? ?????? ?????? (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)
(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 42 DUE FOR REPLY ON 25TH JUNE, 2019.
(a): Agriculture is a State subject. Government of India supports and facilitates the State Governments through several Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes to promote agriculture in the country. All schemes of the DAC&FW are implemented across the country to improve production and productivity in the various agro-climatic zones including difficult terrain and semi arid regions. Some of these important schemes are – National Food Security Mission, Mission on Integrated Development of Horticulture, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, PM-Kisan, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Project on Management of Soil Health and Fertility, Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension, Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material, Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation, Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing etc.
Interventions in Agra District include:
(i) Certain components of the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) such as NFSM-Pulses, NFSM- Coarse Cereals (Barley) and NFSM-Nutri Cereals
(ii) Mission on Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
(iii) An area of 804 ha. has been covered under Micro Irrigation between 2016-17 and 2018-19.
(iv) A total of 372484 and 328501 Soil Health Cards respectively have been distributed during the first and second cycles.
(b) & (c): During the last 5 years (Since May 2014 till date), a total of 1014 stress tolerant, high yielding, improved quality, agro-climatic zone specific varieties of field crops have been developed under different All India Coordinated Research Projects for Dryland Agriculture (AICRP) involving crop based Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institutes and State Agriculture Universities (SAUs). The drought tolerant varieties developed
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by ICAR, SAUs and others have been demonstrated for various crops such as Sesame (Shekar, HT-01); Clusterbean (RGC-1025; RGC-1002), mustard (Giriraj DRMRIJ-31). These varieties are being supported under various crop development programmes / schemes of the DAC&FW.
Suitable agro-techniques along with quality input supply, including, new types of high yielding and less water requiring seed varieties that perform well under rain-fed conditions are provided to farmers for better production and productivity in semi-arid climatic zones for important kharif and rabi crops.
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