Several significant initiatives have been taken in recent years by the Government in order to reverse the downward trend in agricultural production. Some of these important initiatives include:

• Bharat Nirman
• National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme
• National Horticulture Mission
• Expansion of Institutional Credit to Farmers
• Establishment of the National Bee Board
• Establishment of the National Rainfed Area Authority
• Establishment of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB)
• Watershed Development and Micro Irrigation Programmes
• Reforms in Agricultural Marketing and Development of Market Infrastructure
• Revitalisation of Cooperative Sector
• Agri-business Development through Venture Capital Participation by the Small Farmer Agri-business Consortium
• Reform and Support for Agriculture Extension Services
• National Rural Health Mission
• National Food Security Mission
• Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana to incentivise the states to invest more in agriculture
• Integrated Food Law
• Legislative Framework for Warehousing Development and Regulation
• Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers&rsquo Rights (PPVFR) Act, 2001
• National Bamboo Mission and
• Knowledge Connectivity through Common Service Centres (CSC) and IT initiatives.

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

It was launched to incentivise the States to increase the share of investment in agriculture in their State plans. It aims at achieving the 4 per cent annual growth in the agriculture sector during the Eleventh Five Year Plan period by ensuring a holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors. It is a State Plan Scheme and the eligibility for assistance under the scheme depends upon the amount provided in the State budgets for agriculture and allied sectors, over and above the baseline percentage expenditure incurred on agriculture and allied sectors. The funds under the RKVY are to be provided to the States as 100 per cent grant by the Central Government. The main objectives of the schemes are:

• Incentivise the States to increase public investment in agriculture and allied sectors.
• Provide flexibility and autonomy to the States in planning and executing agriculture and allied sector schemes.
• Ensure the preparation of plans for the districts and the States based on agro-climatic conditions, availability of technology and natural resources.
• Ensure that the local needs/crops/ priorities are better reflected.
• Achieve the goal of reducing the yield gaps in important crops, through focused interventions.
• Maximize returns to the farmers.

National Food Security Mission (NFSM)

It is a centrally-sponsored scheme, launched with the objective of increasing the production of rice, wheat and pulses by 10, 8 and 2 million tonnes, respectively, over the benchmark levels of production, by the end of the Eleventh Five Year Plan period. The Mission aims at increasing foodgrains production of the above crops through area expansion and productivity enhancement; restoring soil fertility and productivity; creating employment opportunities; and enhancing farm level economy to restore confidence of farmers of targeted districts. It is being implemented in 305 districts of 16 States of the country.

Various activities of NFSM relate to demonstration of improved production technology, distribution of quality seeds of HYVs and hybrids, popularisation of newly released varieties, support for micronutrients, and training and mass media campaign including awards for best performing districts. The identified districts are given flexibility to adopt any local area specific interventions as are included in the Strategic Research and Extension Plan (SREP) prepared for the agriculture development of the district.

National Policy For Farmers, 2007

Government of India has approved the National Policy for Farmers, 2007 taking into account the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers and after consulting the State Governments. The National Policy for Farmers, among other things, has provided for a holistic approach for development of the farm sector.

The primary focus of this policy is on ‘farmer’ defined holistically and not merely on agriculture. In that sense, it is much more comprehensive than an Agriculture Policy. The objective is, inter alia, to improve the economic viability of farming through substantially improving net income of farmers. Needless to say, there is emphasis on increased productivity, profitability, institutional support, and improvement of land, water and support services apart from provisions of appropriate price policy, risk mitigation measures and so on.

The major goals of the National Policy for Farmers are to:

• Improve economic viability of farming by substantially increasing the net income of farmers and to ensure that agricultural progress is measured by advances made in this income.
• Protect and improve land, water, bio-diversity and genetic resources essential for sustained increase in the productivity, profitability and stability of major farming systems by creating an economic stake in conservation.
• Develop support services including provision for seeds, irrigation, power, machinery and implements, fertilizers and credit at affordable prices in adequate quantity for farmers.
• Strengthen the bio-security of crops, farm animals, fish and forest trees for safeguarding the livelihood and income security of farmer families and the health and trade security of the nation.
• Provide appropriate price and trade policy mechanisms to enhance farmers’ income.
• Provide for suitable risk management measures for adequate and timely compensation to farmers.
• Complete the unfinished agenda in land reforms and to initiate comprehensive asset and aquarian reforms.
• Mainstream the human and gender dimension in all farm policies and programmes.
• Pay explicit attention to sustainable rural livelihoods.
• Foster community-centred food, water and energy security systems in rural India and to ensure nutrition security at the level of every child, woman and man.
• Introduce measures which can help attract and retain youths in farming and processing of farm products for higher value addition by making it intellectually stimulating and economically rewarding.
• Make India a global outsourcing hub in the production and supply of the inputs needed for sustainable agriculture,
  products and processes developed through biotechnology and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
• Restructure the agricultural curriculum and pedagogic methodologies for enabling every farm and home science graduate to become an entrepreneur and to make agricultural education gender sensitive.
• Develop and introduce a social security system for farmers.
• Provide appropriate opportunities in adequate measure for non-farm employment for the farm households.