The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana aims to assist the agriculture sector in achieving 4 per cent annual agricultural growth. The RKVY scheme was launched in the year 2007, which was later re-named as Rejuvenating Approach for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RAFTAAR), to be implemented for three years up to 2019-20 with a budget allocation of Rs 15,722 crore. In a meeting held on 29 May 2007, the National Development Council (NDC) resolved to introduce a Central Assistance Scheme (RKVY) related to slow growth in agriculture and allied sectors. The objective of the NDC is to reorient agricultural development strategies to meet the needs of farmers. The scheme provided considerable flexibility and autonomy to the states in the implementation of the scheme and programmes to encourage investment in agriculture and allied sectors.
INTRODUCTION
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) was launched under the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture, Govt of India from 2007-08 with an aim to achieve 4% annual growth in the agriculture sector during the XIth Plan period. By virtue of enhanced investments, agriculture and allied sector could achieve an annual growth rate of 3.64% during the XIth Plan against a growth rate of 2.46% per annum in the Xth Plan period.
VISION
During 1980s, the GDP of Agriculture pegged at 3%. India has been targeting a growth rate of more than 4% in Agriculture, during the IXth Five year plan (1996 to 2001-02), but the actual achievement has been much below the target. More than 50% of the workforce of the country depends upon agriculture for its livelihood. Slow growth in Agriculture and allied sectors can lead to acute stress in the economy because large nos of population dependent upon this sector facing problems of –
- Fragmented lands.
- Dependent on monsoons.
- Vagaries of nature.
- Lack of marketing facilities.
- Insecured cultivation.
- Lack of knowledge & habituated old methods of cultivation.
Though public and private investments are increasing manifold in sectors such as infrastructure, similar investments are not forth coming in Agriculture and allied sectors, leading to distress in the community of farmers, especially that of the small and marginal segment. Hence, the need for incentivizing state to increase their investments in the Agriculture and allied sectors had been felt. On this background, RKVY was launched from 2007-08 to achieve 4% annual growth in the Agricultural & allied Sector by ensuring holistic development of economic growth of farming community and country. MISSION: To incentivize state to draw up plans for their agriculture sector more comprehensively taking agro climatic conditions, natural issues and technology into account and integrating livestock, poultry and fisheries more fully and implement the same with convergence for inclusive development of Agriculture & Allied Sectors.
Objectives of RKVY RAFTAAR
The main objective of the National Agricultural Development Scheme is to develop agriculture as the main source of economic activity. Some of the objectives include:
- Mitigating risks, promoting agri-business enterprise through creation of agricultural infrastructure as well as strengthening the efforts of farmers.
- To provide autonomy and flexibility to all States in planning according to their local needs.
- To help increase farmers’ income by encouraging productivity and promoting production models linked up the value chain.
- To reduce the risk of farmers by focusing on increasing the income through mushroom cultivation, integrated farming, floriculture etc.
- Empowering youth through various skill development, innovation and agri-business models.
Importance of RKVY Scheme
The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana is responsible for planning and executing programmes to encourage investment in agriculture by providing considerable flexibility and autonomy to the states. The scheme was successful in increasing the agricultural state domestic product and promoting agricultural entrepreneurship.
Some of the useful implications of the RKVY scheme are as follows:
1.To encourage all the states of India to increase more allocations for agriculture and allied sectors.
2.RKVY helps in strengthening the efforts of farmers by providing market facilities as well as building post-harvest infrastructure necessary for the development of agriculture.
3.This will promote private investment in the agriculture sector across the country.
Some of the major sub-schemes implemented under RKVY-Raftaar are Accelerated Fodder Development Programme (AFDP), Saffron Mission, Crop Diversification Programme (CDP) etc.
RKVY – Raftar covers all the major sectors of the country including:
- Agriculture and Horticulture
- Animal husbandry and fisheries
- Dairy Development, Agricultural Research and Education
- Forestry and wildlife
- Plantations and Agricultural Marketing
- Food storage and storage
- Soil and water conservation
- Agricultural financial institutions, other agricultural programmes and cooperation
FAQs
Features of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)?
The Scheme’s Features
- It’s a strategy devised by the State Plan.
- The average spending by the state on agricultural and allied services is the state’s eligibility condition.
- The baseline expenditure is calculated using the state’s average expenditure for the three years preceding the previous year.
- The funding pattern is a one-hundred percent Central Government Grant.
- District Agricultural Plans and State Agricultural Plans are required.
- Because this is an incentive program, allocations are not automated.
- It provides states with the greatest amount of flexibility.
- It comprehensively integrates agricultural and allied services.
- Projects with clear deadlines are highly favored.
- Even if it falls out of the RKVY bucket due to a reduction in spending, the state must commit to the projects that have been started.
- States are encouraged to look into combining their plans with others.
The RKVY-RAFTAAR Agri-Business Incubator (R-ABI) at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi has been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. By providing financial support and cultivating the incubation ecosystem, this program intends to promote agripreneurship and agribusiness. In 2018-19, this was a new component of the redesigned RKVY-RAFTAAR plan. Both new and existing incubators will be established/strengthened as R-ABIs with need-based infrastructure, staff, and equipment under this scheme. These incubators will then invite agripreneurs to participate in various stages of the business life cycle, giving them the opportunity to develop agricultural and related services innovations. The innovations can be in the realm of technology, method, products, or services that will improve agricultural and allied services efficiency. In 2020-21, the Ministry of Agriculture will fund companies through RKVY’s innovation and agripreneurship component.
Eligibility for RKVY?
A state is qualified for RKVY if it maintains or increases its expenditure on agriculture and related sectors as a percentage of total State Plan Expenditure. Where the Base Line for this expenditure is the average of a State Government’s percentage of expenditure on Agriculture and its Allied Sectors over the previous three years, minus any funds related to Agriculture and its Allied Sectors that it may have already received during that time under its State Plan.