Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization

About SMAM

• The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) was introduced in April 2014 with an aim to have inclusive growth of farm mechanisation to boost productivity.
• The scheme is implemented in all the states, to promote the usage of farm mechanization and increase the ratio of farm power to cultivable unit area up to 2.5 kW/ha.
• SMAM will have Central Sector Schemes, Government of India contributes 75% and states contribute 25%.

Mission Objectives

The objectives of the Scheme are-

• Increasing the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where availability of farm power is low.
• Promoting ‘Custom Hiring Centres’ to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small landholding and high cost of individual ownership.
• Creating hubs for hi-tech & high value farm equipments.
• Creating awareness among stakeholders through demonstration and capacity building activities.
• Ensuring performance testing and certification at designated testing centers located all over the country.

Mission Strategy

To achieve the above objectives, the Mission will adopt the following strategies:

• Conduct performance testing for various farm machineries and equipment at the four Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes (FMTTIs), designated State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) and ICAR institutions.
• Promote farm mechanization among stakeholders by way of onfield and off-field training and demonstrations.
• Provide financial assistance to farmers for procurement of farm machinery and implements.
• Establish custom hiring centres of location and crop specific farm machinery and implements.
• Provide financial assistance to small and marginal farmers for hiring machinery and implements in low mechanized regions.

Mission Components

• Promotion and Strengthening of Agricultural Mechanization through Training, Testing and Demonstration
  • Aims to ensure performance testing of agricultural machinery and equipment, capacity building of farmers and end users and promoting farm mechanization through demonstrations.
• Demonstration, Training and Distribution of Post Harvest Technology and Management (PHTM)
  • Aims at popularizing technology for primary processing, value addition, low cost scientific storage/transport and the crop by-product management through demonstrations, capacity building of farmers and end users. Provides financial assistance for establishing PHT units.
• Financial Assistance for Procurement of Agriculture Machinery and Equipment
  • Promotes ownership of various agricultural machinery & equipment as per norms of assistance.
• Establish Farm Machinery Banks for Custom Hiring
  • Provides suitable financial assistance to establish Farm Machinery Banks for Custom Hiring for appropriate locations and crops.
• Establish Hi-Tech, High Productive Equipment Hub for Custom Hiring
  • Provides financial assistance to set up hi-tech machinery hubs for high value crops like sugarcane, cotton etc.
• Promotion of Farm Mechanization in Selected Villages
  • Provides financial assistance to promote appropriate technologies and to set up Farm Machinery Banks in identified villages in the states.
• Financial Assistance for Promotion of Mechanized Operations/hectare Carried out Through Custom Hiring Centres
  • Provides financial assistance on per hectare basis to the beneficiaries hiring machinery/equipments from custom hiring centres in low mechanized areas.
  • Promotion of Farm Machinery and Equipment in North-Eastern Region
  • Extends financial assistance to beneficiaries in high-potential but low mechanised states of north-east.

Funding Provisions

• SMAM will have Central Sector Schemes under component No.1 & 2 (given above) in which the Government of India contributes 100%.
• It will be a Centrally Sponsored Schemes are covered under component No. 3 to 8 (given above) including Administrative and Flexi funds in which Government of India contributes 60% and states contribute 40% except North eastern states and Himalayan regions states where it is 90 %(Central Share) and 10% (State Share). For Union Territories, it is 100% centre share.

Monitoring 

• The Mission envisages a coordinated approach for monitoring and evaluation with active involvement of implementing agencies, beneficiaries and other stakeholders. 
• A combination of periodic desk review, field visits and web-based mechanism will be adopted for releasing funds, monitoring physical and financial progress and monitoring the progress of other Mission interventions at National level by Mechanization and Technology Division (M&T) in the DAC. 
• All implementing agencies will ensure that a report regarding utilization of funds released to them and the physical and financial progress of the SMAM are submitted to DAC regularly, as per prescribed proforma at Annexure VIII and IX respectively