Annual Report 2009-2010 - Department of Agriculture & Co-operation

Annual Report 2009-2010
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Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,
Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil
Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West
Bengal. The scheme presently covers 27 crops,
i.e., paddy, wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, barley,
moong, urad, arhar, gram, lentils, peas,
groundnut, rapeseed and mustard, nigerseed,
soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, cotton, jute,
sugarcane, VFC tobacco, onion, potato,
safflower, and coconut. On an average, about
150 cost estimates are generated annually.
3.25 Field data for the scheme are collected
on a Cost Accounting Method under which daily
debit and credit entries for expenditure and
income are made in order to assess the total cost
incurred by, and benefit accrued to each farmer
covered under the scheme. Detailed
questionnaires are filled up on a monthly and
annual basis after making enquiries on a daily
basis from 10 farm holdings, which consist of
two each from five different size classes, namely,
upto one hectare, one to two hectares, two to
four hectares, four to six hectares, and more than
six hectares.
3.26 Activities Undertaken for the Welfare of
Women and North Eastern States: As the main
objective of the scheme is to collect and compile
data on CoC and CoP of agricultural crops, and
it is not a welfare oriented scheme, no specific
activities either for women, or for the North
Eastern states are undertaken under the scheme.
In the North Eastern Region (NER), the scheme
is in operation in Assam through the Assam
Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat. The AAU
collects data for three principal crops, namely;
paddy, jute, and rapeseed and mustard.
3.27 Agro-Economic Research (AER) Scheme:
The Agro-Economic Research (AER) Scheme was
initiated in 1954-55 for undertaking research
studies on the agro-economic problems of the
country. The scheme is being implemented
through 12 Agro-Economic Research Centres
and 3 Regional Units, which are fully funded by
the Government through a Central Sector Plan
Scheme. These Centres have been established
to take up problem-oriented studies on a regional
basis, with a view to generating the requisite
feedback from the grass roots level, ways and
means for improving the effective monitoring of
various programmes and schemes implemented
by the Ministry, while three units undertake interregional
and all-India level studies. The centres
undertake regional and state-level studies.
3.28 The Agro-Economic Research Centre,
Jorhat was set up in 1960 for conducting studies
in the North Eastern Region. This centre
completes three to four studies annually.
3.29 25 studies were completed by Agro-
Economic Research Centres nationwide during
2008-09. 38 studies have been completed in
2009-10(upto December, 2009). On an average,
about 40-45 research studies are prepared
annually by these centres and units, concerning
economic policy on agriculture, animal
husbandry, water management, and allied areas.
This scheme has been reviewed thrice, once in
1960 by the Dantawala Committee, in 1984 by a
Review Committee, and in 2006, by a Technical
Advisory Committee (TAC) of the Planning
Commission. The TAC Committee found the
scheme useful for research and recommended
its continuation.
3.30 Planning and Management of
Agriculture: In order to assess the impact of
changes on the farm economy of the country
with a focus on the state of Indian farmers, a
central sector scheme-Planning and Management
of Agriculture was formulated during 1998-
99 with a view to organising conferences and
seminars involving eminent economists,
agricultural scientists, experts, etc., to conduct
short term studies, engage consultancy services
for the preparation of a new decentralised strategy