Government schemes like NFSM, RKVY help improve average productivity

NEW DELHI: The agriculture ministry has initiated several development schemes and programmes like National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and its sub schemes targeting strategic areas and crops for improving production of various crops like wheat, rice and pulses.

"These initiatives have borne results and the average productivity of rice, wheat and pulses which was 2202 kg, 2802 kg and 625 kg per hectare in 2007-08 has increased to 2346 kg, 3026 kg and 649 kg per hectare respectively during 2011-12. The yield gap at farmers field is reducing," said minister of state for agriculture and food processing industries Harish Rawat.

The government is promoting hybrid varieties through various programmes highlighting that these need less water and time to ripen.

"The area covered under hybrid rice has increased from 12.85 lakh hectares in 2008-09 to 20.30 lakh hectares (estimated) in 2011-12. The rice hybrids have recorded yields in the range of 5 to 8 tonnes/ha and average yield of hybrid rice is around 5 tonnes/ ha," he said.

However according to a frontline demonstration conducted by All India Coordinated Research Projects of Indian Council of Agricultural Research in different crops like wheat, rice and pulses, due to various biotic and abiotic stresses including small holdings of lands there is a gap in productivity between the farmers' field and recommended practices.

"The yield gap is less in assured irrigated ecology compared to rainfed ecology. About 25% to 30% gap exists between per ha. yield realised in demonstration and farmers' practice," he said.