Merger of farm schemes

The Centre plans to merge 11 different government agricultural schemes, including the horticulture mission and the National Food Security Mission, into an umbrella scheme called Green Revolution–Krishonnati Yojana (GRKY) for  improved coordination.

The umbrella schemeshall extend upto 2019-20, with a Central share of  Rs33,270 crore, Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad, said briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting. “The schemes will be continued with an expenditure of  Rs33,269 crore for three financial years till 2019-20,” he said.

The schemes and missions that are brought under the GRKY include the national mission for sustainable agriculture, national mission on oilseeds and oil palm, integrated schemes for agricultural marketing, agricultural census and economics and agricultural cooperation and several sub-missions such as those on agriculture extension, seeds and planting materials, agricultural mechanisation, and plant protection and plant quarantine, an official statement said.

It focuses on creating/strengthening of infrastructure of production, reducing production cost and marketing of agriculture and related produce.