Annapurna Scheme: Seed Multiplication Programme

Description
The “Annapurna Scheme” was launched by the Department of Farmers Welfare and Agricultural Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh. The “Seed Exchange Programme” component of the scheme aims to improve the economic status of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe small and marginal farmers by providing them with economic assistance to access improved seeds of high-yielding foodgrain crops, thereby increasing productivity and production. The scheme is implemented by the Directorate of Agriculture through the District Panchayats, Sub-Directorate of Agriculture, and the Senior Agriculture Development Officer. The applications for this scheme are accepted by the Rural Agriculture Extension Officer based on targets set according to the population of the target groups and the district's demand.

Exclusions
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Benefits
• Provision of Breeder or Certified I Grade Seeds for seed production.
• A 75% subsidy is provided on the Breeder or Certified Seed.
• The subsidy is applicable for a maximum area of 1 hectare.
• The payment of registration fees required by the Seed Certification Agency, including the application fee, registration fee, inspection fee, and sample fee, is covered from the scheme funds.
• The produced seeds must be made available to other Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe farmers under the scheme at a fair price in the subsequent year.
• An agreement (Anubandh) must be executed between the department and the beneficiary through the Seed Production Committee or Farm Superintendent to ensure seed production, marketing (muktjan), and payment according to policy.
• The entire agricultural methodology (Sampuurna Krishi Kaaryamaala) must be adopted for higher production.
• Undesirable plants (Avaanchhaniy Paudhon) must be separated to maintain seed purity.
• The raw seed produced under the program will undergo grading, processing, stacking, and packing at the Government Agricultural Farm or at the processing center of the Seed Corporation or other institutions if facilities are unavailable at the farm.
• The expenditure incurred on grading, processing, stacking, and packing of raw seeds produced at Government Agricultural Farms may be met by the Deputy Director of Agriculture from the scheme funds, provided the prepared seed is used only under the scheme.
• The remaining amount, after deducting the processing expenditure from the prescribed price of the supplied seed, must be deposited in the Government Treasury by challan towards payment to the Government Agricultural Farm.

Eligibility Criteria
1. - The applicant must belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
2. - The applicant must be a small or marginal farmer.
3. ##### ***Criteria Specific to &quot;Seed Production Programme&quot;***
4. - The applicant must be willing to participate in the Seed Production Programme.
5. - The applicant&#39;s land must fall within the 10 km perimeter of the selected Government Agricultural Farms.
6. - The applicant must conduct the program in a minimum area of 1/2 acre (0.2 hectare).
7. - The maximum area for which subsidy is eligible is 1 hectare.
8. - The applicant must mandatorily register with the Seed Certification Agency.
9. ##### ***Crops Included***
10. - Kharif crops - Paddy, Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Kodo, Kutki, Ragi.
11. - Rabi crops - Wheat, Barley.
12. ##### ***Operational Area***
13. The program is implemented within the 10 kilometer perimeter of 46 specified Government Agricultural Farms. These farms are located across various districts, including Bhind, Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, Raigarh, Janjgir, Korba, Satna, Sidhi, Damoh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Seoni, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Narsinghpur, Katni, Umaria, Khargone, Dewas, Shajapur, Ratlam, Mandsaur, Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Betul, Rajgarh, Jagdalpur, Kanker, Sitapur, Koriya, Mandla, Shahdol, Dhar, and Jhabua.
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Application Process
Step 1: The Gramin Krishi Vistar Adhikari (Rural Agricultural Extension Officer) will select small and marginal SC/ST farmers who are interested in participating in the Seed Production Programme.
The Gramin Krishi Vistar Adhikari will prepare a list selec…
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The Gramin Krishi Vistar Adhikari (Rural Agricultural Extension Officer) will select small and marginal SC/ST farmers who are interested in participating in the Seed Production Programme.
The Gramin Krishi Vistar Adhikari will prepare a list selecting 1.5 times the target number of beneficiaries.
The Gramin Krishi Vistar Adhikari will submit the list of selected beneficiaries to the Senior Krishi Vikas Adhikari (Senior Agricultural Development Officer) or the Farm Superintendent (Prakshetra Adhikshak).
The Senior Krishi Vikas Adhikari or the Farm Superintendent will examine the received list and obtain approval from the Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer (Anuvibhagiy Krishi Adhikari).
Priority will be given to the names listed first in the approved list.
The Director of Agriculture will issue instructions for the supply of seed (Breeder or Certified I Grade) directly to the Deputy Director of Agriculture by authorized institutions, including Government Agricultural Farms, State Seed Corporation, National Seed Corporation, State Farm Corporation of India, and Agricultural Universities.
The Deputy Director of Agriculture will subsequently arrange for the seed supply to the Farm Superintendent.
The Farm Superintendent will distribute the Breeder or Certified I seed to the selected farmers according to the approval of the Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer.
The Farm Superintendent is responsible for sending progress information regarding this distribution to the Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer.
The Gramin Krishi Vistar Adhikari will submit the registration application letter to the Farm Superintendent within 20 days of sowing or before the final date fixed by the government.
It is mandatory for the Farm Superintendent to present these applications to the Seed Certification Agency within the specified period.
Before undertaking the production program, the beneficiary must receive necessary technical training and information from the Gramin Krishi Vistar Adhikari, Senior Krishi Vikas Adhikari, and Subject Matter Specialists at the sub-divisional level.
An agreement must be executed between the department and the beneficiary, mediated by the Seed Production Committee or Farm Superintendent, to ensure timely seed production, marketing, and payment at prescribed rates.
The Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer is responsible for withdrawing the necessary funds for registration (application fee, registration fee, inspection fee, and sample fee) from the scheme budget and ensuring payment is sent to the Seed Certification Agency before the prescribed date.
Following successful field certification and subsequent harvesting and threshing, the marketing of the seed will be carried out by the Seed Production Committee or the Farm Superintendent at prescribed rates.
The Farm Superintendent will manage the grading and packing arrangements according to the schedule prepared under the supervision of the Seed Certification Agency, up until the final dates set by the government.
The Deputy Director of Agriculture will pay the Seed Supply Institution the actual cost of the seed supplied under the Seed Production Programme from the scheme funds.
The Deputy Director of Agriculture can also utilize scheme funds for expenses related to grading, processing, stacking, and packing of raw seeds produced at Government Agricultural Farms.
Selection of Beneficiaries: May 25 (Kharif) and August 31 (Rabi/Summer).
Provision of Seed to Farmers: June 15 (Kharif) and October 10 (Rabi/Summer).
Final date for expenditure against allotted funds: October 31 (Kharif) and January 31 (Rabi/Summer).
Physical and financial targets for all components must be ensured by January 31.

Required Documents
• Caste Certificate (To Confirm Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Status).
• Land Holding Details (To Confirm Small or Marginal Farmer Status and Area Coverage).
• Agreement/Contract (Anubandh) (To Be Executed Between The Department And The Beneficiary, Mediated Through The Seed Production Committee Or The Farm Superintendent).
• List Of Registered Farmers (Including Crop/Variety-Wise Information On Sown Area, Prepared By The Farm Superintendent).
• Joint Bank Account Details (Required If A Seed Producer Committee Is Formed, Held Jointly By The Committee Chairman And The Farm Superintendent).

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much financial assistance, calculated as a%age of the total seed price, will be granted to the successful participating farmers?
A: A 75% subsidy is provided on the cost of the Foundation (Aadhaar) or Certified I grade (Pramanit I shreni) seed supplied for participation in the program.
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Q: Is it a mandatory requirement for all cultivators participating in this production component to officially register with the quality control institution?
A: Yes, cultivators are mandatorily required to register with the Seed Certification Agency (Bija Pramanikaran Sanstha).
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Q: What is the minimum land area required for a cultivator to dedicate to this particular agricultural activity to qualify for the benefits?
A: The production activity must be undertaken in a minimum area of $1/2$ acre (0.2 hectare) by the participating cultivator.
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Q: Does the land where the production work takes place need to be situated within a certain proximity to designated government facilities?
A: Yes, the applicant&#39;s land must be located within a 10 kilometer perimeter of the selected Government Agricultural Farms (Shaaskiya Krishi Prakshetra).
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Q: What is the official deadline for submitting the mandatory application form for quality certification after the sowing of the crops has been completed?
A: The registration application form must be submitted within 20 days of sowing or before the final date fixed by the government.
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Q: If a large number of eligible individuals apply, how is the official priority list for the selection process determined?
A: The Gramin Krishi Vistar Adhikari (Rural Agricultural Extension Officer) selects 1.5 times the target, and priority is given to the names listed first on the approved list.
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Q: Who is responsible for bearing the cost of mandatory fees related to application, inspection, and sample testing required by the certification body?
A: The payment for registration fees, including the application fee, registration fee, inspection fee, and sample fee, is covered using funds from the scheme budget.
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Q: Is there a defined maximum limit on the total land area for which a farmer can receive the subsidized planting material under this program?
A: Yes, eligibility for the 75% subsidy is restricted to a maximum area of 1 hectare for each participating farmer.
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Q: Which specific grades or classifications of high-yielding food grain seeds will be distributed to the selected beneficiaries for multiplication?
A: Foundation (Aadhaar) or Certified I grade (Pramanit I shreni) seed of high-yielding food grain crops will be made available for production.
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Q: What is the obligation regarding the distribution or utilization of the certified quality seed produced under the umbrella of this program?
A: The produced certified seed must be made available at prescribed rates to other Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe farmers under the scheme in the subsequent year.
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Q: How must the remaining 25% of the actual cost of the quality seed, after the subsidy is applied, be settled by the applicant?
A: The remaining seed cost must be settled by the cultivator either in cash (nagad) or through their own seed, which will be valued at the support price.
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Q: Where will the activities necessary for post-harvest preparation, such as grading, stacking, and packing of the raw produce, be performed?
A: These processes will be conducted at the Government Agricultural Farm or, if facilities are unavailable there, at the processing center of the Seed Corporation or other institutions.
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Q: What steps must the farmer take concerning cultivation practices to ensure the purity and quality of the final high-yielding production?
A: The complete agricultural methodology (Sampuurna Krishi Kaaryamaala) must be adopted for higher production, and undesirable plants (Avaanchhaniy Paudhon) must be removed to maintain seed purity.
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Q: Is there any specific legal document or formal understanding that needs to be executed between the farmer and the implementing department?
A: Yes, an agreement (Anubandh) must be executed between the department and the beneficiary through the Seed Production Committee or Farm Superintendent to ensure production, marketing, and payment are compliant with policy.
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