Source: PIB & Guidelines of National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
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 the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
Objectives
- To make agriculture more productive, sustainable, remunerative and climate-resilient by promoting location specific Integrated/Composite Farming Systems
- To conserve natural resources through appropriate soil and moisture conservation measures
- To adopt comprehensive soil health management practices based on soil fertility maps, soil test based application of macro & micronutrients, judicious use of fertilizers, etc.
- To optimize the utilization of water resources through efficient water management to expand coverage for achieving ‘more crop per drop’
- To develop the capacity of farmers & stakeholders, in conjunction with other ongoing Missions e.g. National Mission on Agriculture Extension & Technology, National Food Security Mission, National Initiative for Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), etc., in the domain of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures
- To pilot models in select blocks for improving the productivity of rainfed farming by mainstreaming rainfed technologies refined through NICRA and by leveraging resources from other schemes/Missions like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), RKVY, etc. and
- To establish an effective inter and intra Departmental/Ministerial coordination for accomplishing key deliverables of the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture under the aegis of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
Mission Components
Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
RAD adopts an area-based approach for the development and conservation of natural resources along with farming systems. This component has been formulated in a ‘watershed plus framework’, i.e., to explore potential utilization of natural resources base/assets available/created through watershed development and soil conservation activities /interventions under MGNREGS, NWDPRA, RVP&FPR, RKVY, IWMP, etc. This component introduces appropriate farming systems by integrating multiple components of agriculture such as crops, horticulture, livestock, fishery, forestry with agro-based income-generating activities and value addition.
On-Farm Water Management (OFWM)
OFWM focuses primarily on enhancing water use efficiency by promoting efficient on-farm water management technologies and equipment. This not only focuses on application efficiency but, in conjunction with the RAD component, also will emphasize on effective harvesting & management of rainwater.
Soil Health Management
It aims at promoting the location as well as crop-specific sustainable soil health management including residue management, organic farming practices by way of creating and linking soil fertility maps with macro – micronutrient management, appropriate land use based on land capability, judicious application of fertilizers and minimizing the soil erosion/degradation
Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture: Monitoring, Modeling, and Networking (CCSAMMN)
CCSAMMN provides creation and bidirectional (land/farmers to research/scientific establishments and vice versa) dissemination of climate change-related information and knowledge by way of piloting climate change adaptation/mitigation research/model projects in the domain of climate-smart sustainable management practices and integrated farming system suitable to local agro-climatic conditions.
