Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan: Reflections from the Grassroots

Dr. Parveen Kumar*

Continuing with its pro-farming endaveour, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India started the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan 2025 (Pre- Kharif)’ with an aim to reach out to about 1-1.5 crore farmers through more than 2000 dedicated teams comprising of scientists, officials and farmers’. All this was to be accomplished within a fortnight (May 29-June 12). The compaign ran simultaneously in more than 700 districts of the country. Each day, each team conducted three meetings in different Panchayats covering cluster of villages and engaging about 10 to 12 lakh farmers on a daily basis. Hon’ble Primeminister launched the campaign from the holy city of Puri in Orissa in a virtual mode. Mr. Shiv Raj Singh Chauhan Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare himself visited 20 states in the 15 days Campaign.
The basic philosophy behind this ‘Pre-Kharif Abhiyan’ was Lab. to Land; i. e to bridge the gap between laboratory based research and field level practices by sensitization of farming communities regarding scientific cultivation of different crops to be grown in the Kharif season, awareness of various government schemes, promotion of sustainable practices and technologies so as to boost crop productivity, sharing monsoon forecasts and documentation of best practices & success stories emanating from farmers’ fields. The Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Sh. Shiv Raj Singh Chauhan also gave the mantra of ‘One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team’ emphasizing upon the need for a unified connect between Agriculture and allied ministries at central as well as state/UT level, all institutions of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as well as State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), progressive and innovative farmers’ and all such agencies involved in socio-economic upliftment of the farming community.
In district Ramban, VKSA started on May 29 along with the whole country, but concluded on May 15 (excluding three days w.e.f June 06-08) along with the UT of J&K. As the Abhiyan was designed to include all the departments related to agriculture, a single team consisting of both the scientists from KV-Ramban along with the officers/officials of line departments was made. The team included functionaries from Horticulture, Sericulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry, Apiculture and Crop Insurance. The team daily conducted three meetings with a cluster of villages at Panchayat level. During the entire campaign, it traversed through plain as well as hilly terrains ensuring that no corner of this district is left unreached.
One of the key objectives of the Abhiyan was sensitization of farming communities regarding scientific cultivation of different crops to be grown in the Kharif season. District Ramban has agriculture sub divisions; Ramban, Gool and Banihal. Maize and Paddy are grown in Kharif season of which Maize is a key crop with substantial area under its cultivation. This is because Paddy is grown in upper reaches with temperate conditions mostly in Gool and Banihal Subdivision. By the time, VKSA started Maize in most of the places was already sown and in some places first Interculture (30 DAS) was going on. Similarly Paddy transplantation was almost complete in upper reaches where it is cultivated. VKSA thus was late in district Ramban as far as sensitization of farming community about scientific cultivation of Kharif season crops; is concerned. It would have been more effective, had it started a month earlier. The use of traditional methods of cultivation like broadcasting and fertilizer application is still prevalent.
The indiscriminate use of fertilizers was also reported from certain Panchayats in the district. Farmers also complained of poor quality of maize seed purchased by them. Another major issue having a catastrophic effect on the farm sector particularly maize cultivation is the monkey menace in this district. Such is the menace that in many villages farmers’ keep their land fallow and do not grow maize. Monkeys not only destroy maize but also have ruined orchards of farmers. The insect/pest attack on Maize is also very frequent. The crop is eaten by insect pests. Insects start eating young tender leaves and stem of the plant ultimately destroying the whole crop. Pea crop was also reported to have been attacked by insect/pests. In Rajmash, farmers also reported of attack from a white colour nail like insect. This insect which used to come late in the growing season of crop now appears earlier and results in damage to the crop. Farmers in certain pocket of the district also reported about a disease on paddy which seems to be Bacterial Leaf Blight. This also results in huge yield losses to the farming community.
Regarding the impact of different government flagship schemes, the flagship scheme of the government Primeminister Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKISAN) has percolated deep down to the last farmer. This financial assistance scheme that provides for rupees six thousand annually in three equal installments of rupees 2000 each coinciding with the start of each cropping season has been widely acknowledged by the farming community. Another ambitious programme of the government aimed at Soil Health Management is the scheme of Soil Health Card (SHC); department officials have taken the soil samples of selected farmers, but the Soil Health Cards have yet to be provided to most of the farmers as the results of soil samples are awaited. There is a need to work more with a renewed focus on this scheme. Regarding Primeminister Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), in district Ramban, insurance is only available for Maize and Paddy in the Kharif season and Wheat in the Rabi season. There is no insurance for Horticultural crops which results in great loss to the farmers engaged in fruit cultivation. The untimely rainfall, fast blowing winds along with hailstorms result in premature fruit drop, uproots the fruit plants resulting in a considerable economic loss to the farmers. The Kisan Credit Card facility has been availed by farmers, but many farmers’ showed their resentment against the bank officials who despite providing them all the related documents are reluctant to grant KCC loans to them. Government is now promoting Natural Farming. Natural Farming is still unknown to the vast majority of the farming community in the district, but the encouraging thing is that they showed great interest in adopting Natural Farming. They are quiet aware of the negative effects of chemical intensive farming. Youths of the region lack specific skills and are unaware of various Skill & Entrepreneurship development programmes of the government.
There is an acute shortage of staff in every department which is seriously affecting the performance of the department. Many schemes/advisories and other relevant information does not reaches out to the farming community in time. Farmers having milch cattles and those rearing sheep and goats become the victim of this shortage of staff. Many times their animals die because of lack of proper treatment. Similarly, the farmers cultivating fruit crops even do not have the basic knowledge of training and pruning, grafting and other methods of propagation. Horticulture is an important livelihood source for farming community of this region. In the absence of any insurance product for horticultural crops in this region, farmers feel insecure. So crop insurance should also cover fruit crops too. Department should ensure that Maize seed being provided to the farmers is of good quality. Monkey menace has to be checked. Special efforts have to be made for this purpose. Farmers have to be familiarized about various products or change in their cropping patterns to escape disaster from monkeys. Some farmers’ are practicing natural farming and are producing good quantity of vegetables on a daily basis. Such farmers need to be identified and provided with adequate marketing support. District administration should also take up with the Banks the issue of not sanctioning KCC loan to the farmers. Focus on skill development of youths in allied sectors like sericulture, fisheries, floriculture, seed production, mushroom, processing and value addition etc can result in entrepreneurship development and employment generation. Farm mechanization should be promoted to enhance efficiency and timeliness of various farm operations. Under HADP, farmers can be encouraged to avail benefits of different schemes related to farm mechanization. Diversification based on an Integrated farming system approach should be promoted. This would ensure that farmer at least gets compensated from another enterprise in case of failure of one enterprise.
Coordinated and targeted efforts involving all stakeholders’ engaged in the socio-economic upliftment of farming community with the active participation of higher hierarchy can bring about radical changes in the agriculture sector in this district. SKUAST-Jammu under the dynamic leadership of Prof. B .N. Tripathi and Prof. Amrish Vaid, Director Extension has been pro-active in leading this Abhiyan in all the districts of Jammu Division; by leading from the front as well as providing all the necessary support to KVKs.

*Dr. Parveen Kumar is working as a Scientist at KVK-Ramban, SKUAST-Jammu and was part of ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ team in district Ramban.

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