Sustaining agricultural productivity depends on quality and availability of natural resources like soil and water. Agricultural growth can be sustained by promoting conservation and sustainable use of these scarce natural resources through appropriate location specific measures. Indian agriculture remains predominantly rainfed covering about 60% of the country’s net sown area and accounts for 40% of the total food production. Thus, conservation of natural resources in conjunction with development of rainfed agriculture holds the key to meet burgeoning demands for food grain in the country. Towards this end, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has been formulated for enhancing agricultural productivity especially in rainfed areas focusing on integrated farming, water use efficiency, soil health management and synergizing resource conservation.
NMSA derives its mandate from Sustainable Agriculture Mission which is one of the eight Missions outlined under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The strategies and programmers of actions (POA) outlined in the Mission Document, that was accorded ‘in principle’ approval by Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change (PMCCC) on 23.09.2010,aim at promoting sustainable agriculture through a series of adaptation measures focusing on ten key dimensions encompassing Indian agriculture namely; ‘Improved crop seeds, livestock and fish cultures’, ‘Water Use Efficiency’, ‘Pest Management’, ‘Improved Farm Practices’, ‘Nutrient Management’, ‘Agricultural insurance’, ‘Credit support’, ‘Markets’, ‘Access to Information’ and ‘Livelihood diversification’. During XII Five Year Plan, these measures are being embedded and mainstreamed onto ongoing/proposed Missions/ programmes / Schemes of Dept. of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC&FW) through a process of restructuring and convergence. NMSA architecture has been designed by converging, consolidating and subsuming all ongoing as well as newly proposed activities/programmes related to sustainable agriculture with a special emphasis on soil & water conservation, water use efficiency, soil health management and rainfed area development. The focus of NMSA will be to infuse the judicious utilization of resources of commons through community based approach.
NMSA will cater to key dimensions of ‘Water use efficiency’, ‘Nutrient Management’ and ‘Livelihood diversification’ through adoption of sustainable development pathway by progressively shifting to environmental friendly technologies, adoption of energy efficient equipments, conservation of natural resources, integrated farming, etc. Besides, NMSA aims at promoting location specific improved agronomic practices through soil health management, enhanced water use efficiency, judicious use of chemicals, crop diversification, progressive adoption of crop-livestock farming systems and integrated approaches like crop-sericulture, agro-forestry, fish farming, etc.
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