The Government has taken following steps to educate/train farmers across the country about the latest machinery and technology to improve quality of their crop as well as increase production and income by adopting latest technologies for cultivation.

The Government has established four Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes located at Budni (MP), Hissar (Haryana), Ananthapur (AP) and Biswanath Chariali (Assam) which are engaged in imparting training to various categories of trainees including farmers, in the field of Farm Mechanization. These institutes have trained 10065 trainees during last one year.

A Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Support to State Extension Programs for Extension Reforms” popularly known as ATMA Scheme is under implementation since 2005. Presently, Scheme is being implemented in 691 districts of 28 states & 5 UTs in the country. The scheme promotes decentralized farmer-friendly extension system in the country. Under the scheme Grants-in-Aid is released to the State Governments with an objective to support State Government’s efforts to make available the latest agricultural technologies and good agricultural practices in different thematic areas of agriculture and allied areas to farmers. During last one year, 17.32 lakh farmers have been trained under the scheme in different thematic areas.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research has a network of 722 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) with mandate of technology assessment, demonstration and capacity development of farmers. KVKs imparted training on latest machineries and technologies to 16.82 lakh farmers to increase production and improve quality of their products during last one year. KVKs also executed 2.44 lakh frontline demonstrations on various crops, livestock and other enterprises including farm machineries and organized 10.95 extension activities with the participation of 183.66 lakh farmers during last one year. Besides, 20100 ton seeds of improved varieties of different field crops; 348.01 lakh quality planting materials of elite species of different horticultural crops; and 409.06 lakh fingerlings and other livestock strains were produced and provided to farmers.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Lok Sabha today.

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APS