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| Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) for Rural Development | | | Dr. Banarsi Lal and
Dr. Vikas Tandon
Agriculture continues to be an occupation and way of life for more than half of the Indian population. The agriculture, which is an engine of growth and development and a significant contributor to the national economy, has been greatly influenced by the process of globalization. There is a matter great concern about imbalance of total production, the urban-rural divide, national food security and economic access to food. The agricultural strategy in the country seeks to bridge the product and production gaps. The policy envisages promotion of sustainable agriculture through a regionally differentiated approach, improvement in the input use efficiency, development and transfer of technology. There is a need to focus on technology generation and its application in agro-ecological or social circumstances.
Agriculture is the major occupation of the people in Jammu & Kashmir where more than 75 per cent of the population is directly associated with agriculture. Thus, agricultural development harbingers the overall growth and development of the State. Jammu and Kashmir is a mountainous state in which about 30 per cent of the area is under cultivation. Agriculture is the mainstay of the people as it provides employment to about 75 per cent of the workforce. This sector contributes about 65 per cent of the state revenue which signifies the dependency of the state on agriculture. Judicious use of land is necessary to mitigate the growing needs of the increasing population by keeping the sustainability of soils, ecosystems and environment in view.
The Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) also known as Farm Science Centers, a gross root level scheme which was designed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in the country. In 1964-66, the Education Commission of Government of India under the chairmanship of Dr.D.S.Kothari gave recommendations for the application of science to productive process including agricultural education. The Planning Commission of India and Inter-Ministerial Committee reviewed the recommendations. A committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Mohan Singh Mehta was constituted by the ICAR in 1973 which further gave the recommendations for the establishment of KVKs in the country. The first Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) was established in 1974 at Pudducherry under Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore by the ICAR, New Delhi. Presently, the ICAR has established 641 KVKs all over the country under different organizations like State Agricultural Universities, the ICAR institutes, Deemed Universities, Central Institutes, State Governments and NGOs. In Jammu and Kashmir ICAR has established 19 KVKs under two agricultural universities SKUAST-Jammu, SKUAST-Kashmir and one KVK under Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH). These KVKs are mitigating the scientific agricultural needs of the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir. These KVKs are playing a pivotal role in transformation in rural areas of the state by updating the rural people about the latest agricultural technologies. These KVKs are immensely playing a major role in farmers' prosperity. The KVKs have proved their worth to mitigate the agricultural needs of the farmers. The KVKs empower the farmers through need-based farmers/vocational trainings and helpful to change the socio-economic conditions of the farmers. Throughout the state the Krishi Vigyan Kendras conduct on- farm testing, identify the location specificity of agricultural technologies, lay out front line demonstrations to establish the production potential of various agricultural technologies at farmers fields, impart need-based and skill oriented training to the practicing farmers, in-service extensional personnel , to those who are interested for self-employment to update their knowledge and skills in new agricultural technologies, create awareness on improved technologies through various extension methods, produce and provide improved quality seeds, planting material, livestock, poultry, fisheries etc. to the farmers and work as agricultural knowledge centers for the public, private and voluntary organizations. These Kendras cater the needs of those who wish to be self-employed or those who are already employed. There is no particular syllabus for the Krishi Vigyan Kendras. The programmes and syllabus(action plan) of the Krishi Vigyan Kendras are tailored according to the needs, resources and potential for the agricultural growth in a particular area and is finally decided by involving the districts heads, Panches/Sarpanches and also progressive farmers of the district.
The prime objective of the Krishi Vigyan Kendras is agricultural growth. Priority is given to the weaker sections of the society like small, marginal, tribal farmers, agricultural labourers, drought prone areas, hilly areas, forest areas, coastal areas etc. and work-experience is the main method of imparting training. The first objective of the ICAR is to cover the entire country with one Krishi Vigyan Kendra in each district and priority is given to the backward areas. As there is a great demand for the improved agricultural technologies by the farmers so there is great demand of Krishi Vigyan Kendras throughout the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Farmers need not only the latest knowledge of the technologies but also more skills in the agricultural operations for adoption.
The KVK staff is comprised the sixteen members team. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra is headed by one Programme Co-ordinator (Senior Scientist-cum-head), six Subject Matter Specialists (Junior Scientists) from the different discipline like Agricultural Extension, Horticulture, Agronomy, Home Science, Animal Science and Fisheries, three Programme Assistants(trainings, farm and computer each), two administrative staff, two drivers and two OCCs. In the agricultural universities, KVKs are headed by the Director Extension (DE) and at zone level KVKs are monitored and guided by Zonal Project Director (ZPD).At central level KVKs are headed by Deputy Director General (DDG) Extension. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) provides guidelines to KVKs and conducts periodic supervision. In order to establish a KVK there is requirement of basic infrastructure. The KVK has its administrative building, farmers' hostel and six quarters for the staff. KVKs have rain water harvesting units, soil and water testing labs, e-connectivity, vermicompost units, polyhouse units, fish pond units, poultry farm units, beekeeping units, mushroom cultivation units etc. The KVKs also have a jeep, two wheelers and tractors facilities. The KVKs are also guided to establish crop cafeterias and technology parks for the demonstration purpose. KVK executes its activities with the help and guidance of local management committee. The KVKs also need to constitute their Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting which involves the agricultural and allied departments' heads and is chaired by the head of the organization. In this meeting the progressive farmers are also involved. In order to get the technical and scientific guidelines to achieve the targets and also to present the action taken report, the KVKs need to conduct Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting twice in a year. The KVKs can spend their revolving funds for production of technological products.
The KVKs decide certain thrust areas according to the agro-ecological, cropping pattern and farming system of the respective district. The major thrust areas of hilly district Jammu and Kashmir are as (i)Integrated nutrient/pest/weed management in different crops(ii)Water management (iii)Promoting organic farming (iv)Protected cultivation of high value and low value crops(v) Promotion of aromatic and medicinal plants (vi)Increase in the productivity of livestock (vi)Drudgery reduction for farm women (vi)Promotion of loose flower cultivation (vii)Promotion of new single cross hybrids in maize(viii)Value addition of agricultural products etc.
Follow-up of extension programmes are conducted after trainings in order to get the impact of the trainings on the trainees and proper documentation of the programmes is done. The KVKs also take the help of mass media (electronic and print both) for timely dissemination of agricultural information even to the farmers of far-flung areas. Co-ordination of various development departments and private agencies plays a vital role for the success of extension programmes of KVKs. The KVKs also conduct technology weeks to create awareness among the farmers about the latest technologies in agriculture and allied sectors and disseminate the agricultural information to the farmers of respective districts through short message service (SMS). The KVKs are also involved in production of quality seeds, planting materials, livestock material and bio-products and supply them to the farmers. KVK maintains the farm on the scientific basis for the demonstration purpose in order to provide the work experience to the farmers and also to disseminate the latest agricultural technologies.
It has been observed that with the introduction of Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the state the adoption rate of new agricultural technologies have been increased. Now, majority of the farmers of the state are using hybrid/improved/high yielding varieties of maize, paddy, wheat, pulses, oilseeds etc. KVKs are diverting the farmers from subsistence farming to commercial farming. By keeping the scope of floriculture in the state floriculture industry in the state is spreading. Mushroom cultivation, sericulture, horticulture, dairy farming, vermicomposting, food processing, milk processing entrepreneurships are developed among the farmers in certain pockets of the state by the strenuous efforts of KVKs. KVKs are catering the agricultural needs of both the provinces of the state. These are the agricultural knowledge hubs in the respective districts. |
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