National Policy for Farmers

1. WTO ISSUESRevised Draft Modalities has been issued on which discussion is going on three pillars i.e. Domestic Support, Market Access and Export Competition covered Domestic support covers issues like OTDS, AMS, product specific disciplines and Green Box support Market Access issues cover Tariff cut formula, sensitive products, special products Export Competition issues cover export subsidies, creditDepartment of Commerce would be convening a special meeting for this purpose in first or second week of March

2. National Policy for Farmers • Focus on economic well-being of Farmers • Holistic definition of FARMER • To improve viability of farming by substantially improving the net income of Farmers and monitoring its growth • To improve social security & risk mitigation • Sustainable rural farm and non-farm livelihood and employment opportunities • Emphasis on investment, entrepreneurship • Outsourcing hub for sustainable agriculture • Community based food, water, energy security • Restructuring Agricultural curriculum

3. Asset reforms to empower farmers Every farmer should have some productive asset or marketable skill. • Land Prime farm land should not be diverted for non-farm purpose except under exceptional circumstances, diversion be made good by developing waste land, implement land reforms laws, joint patta for agricultural and homestead land

4. Water • Emphasis on water use efficiency, sustainability, rain water harvesting and aquifer recharge, water literacy • Livestock Feed, fodder availability, promoting crop livestock mixed farming system, insurance • Fisheries; training of farmers • Bio resources, animal genetic resources Conservation of traditional knowledge, biological diversity

5. Support Services • Application of frontier technologies for sustainable improvement in productivity (evergreen revolution) and to make the research strategy pro- nature and pro-farmer • National Agricultural Bio-security System to safeguard livelihood security of farmer • Improving the reach of meteorological advisories to the farmers • Measures to mitigate adverse impacts of climate change on farmers

6. Inputs and services Emphasis on soil health monitoring, quality seeds, animal feed & health and support services for women • Credit and Insurance Outreach & efficiency, reasonable interest, financial inclusion and access, credit counseling centers for severely indebted farmers, user-friendly insurance • Cooperatives • Extension; knowledge connectivity, gyan chaupal, farm schools, training of farmers in KVK • Social Security; comprehensive national social security scheme for farmers

7. Agricultural Prices, Marketing and Trade Assured and remunerative market opportunities key to progress, supports ongoing efforts for market reforms, effective implementation of MSP, strengthening MIS, community food grain banks, extending PDS to millets, APMC to promote grading, packaging, development of markets for local produce, advice to farmers on marketing aspects, farmer groups/SHGs • Integration with processing & value chain • Curriculum reform entrepreneurship training, farm graduate as registered practitioners

8. Special Categories of farmers • Tribal farmers • Pastoralists • Plantation farmers • Island farmers • Urban farmers

9. Categories of farming and regions • Organic farming • Green agriculture Practice of INM, IPM and integrated NRM • Protected (greenhouse) agriculture Distress hotspots Knowledge connectivity, sustainable agricultural practices, marketing infrastructure and convergence Mega bio-diversity areas Conservation involving local communities

10. Farmers of the future Improving efficiency & economics of small and marginal farmers through: • Cooperative farming and service cooperatives • Group farming by SHGs • Small holders estates • Contract farming • Farmers companies

11. Attracting youth Supporting educated youths to set up agri-clinics and production cum processing facilities, introduction of recognised vocational courses in different aspects of agricultural and allied activities for the youths and support to trained youths to launch self-employment ventures for value addition of farm products

12. Summary of key provisions in NPF • Every farmer should have some productive asset or marketable skill. • Stress on efficiency in use of irrigation water, concept of maximizing the Income Per Unit of Water, formulation of Drought Code, Flood Code and Good Weather Code • Use of frontier technologies like bio-technology for improving productivity continuously, (Evergreen Revolution) • National Agricultural Bio-security System • Rural non-farm employment initiative • Centrality of Panchayats to address farmers’ problems

13. (vii) Comprehensive National Social Security Scheme for farmers (viii) Assured and Remunerative Marketing Opportunities: (a) MSP & MIS mechanisms to be strengthened (b) Community Food grain Banks (c) Single National Market (ix) Cabinet Committee on Food Security (x) Emphasis on viability of small & marginal farmers (xi) Policy by and large supports the ongoing reform measures in different areas of agriculture sector

14. Operationalisation of the Policy • Policy to be adapted and operationalised to suit the local needs, operational plan at district level integrated at state level, mechanism for continuous feedback from the farmers • Inter-ministerial Committee constituted to suggest for operationalisation of the policy, Guidelines and mechanism to implement NPF • Agriculture Coordination Committee would oversee and coordinate integrated implementation of this policy

15. Follow up action taken by DAC • NPF and other recommendations NCF have been circulated to all the states/UTs & concerned Ministries. • Paragraphs of the Policy where action is to be taken by the concerned Ministry/Department have also been cicrculated requesting the comments/views on the existing schemes, action to be taken to operationalise the provision and any other relevant comments. • Inter Ministerial Committee constituted, the committee has met twice, the plan of action for the Ministries/Departments of Government of India is likely to be finalised by March, 2008.

16. Steps to be taken • To identify provisions that can be implemented with the existing schemes, like training, capacity building etc. • Review of the existing schemes/programmes with reference to the provisions of the Policy, the objective of the scheme, mechanism for implementation etc to see if any modification to the existing schemes is required to implement the Policy. • Review the provisions in the Policy which are not covered by the existing schemes to see if these can be operationalised by suitably expanding the existing schemes, or if any new or fresh schemes are required for effective implementation of NPF. • How to utilize RKVY, NFSM or other existing schemes to suitably adapt and operationalise the Policy, as per the local needs & requirement and associating Panchayats. • Comment of state governments on above and action already taken; strategy/plan for effective implementation of the Policy.

17. Thank you