**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare's response to a Lok Sabha unstarred question regarding schemes for providing agricultural education to farmers. The response details the government's initiatives, primarily through the ATMA scheme and KVKs, to address farmers' limited access to technology and knowledge. The document also outlines steps to increase the coverage of farmers under these schemes, including promoting natural farming and digital extension. It provides the number of farmers benefitted until October 31, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Land Holdings and Farmer Challenges:**
* The average land holding is 1.08 hectares as of the 2015-16 agricultural census.
* Over 86% of farmers operate on small and marginal land holdings.
* **Government Schemes for Agricultural Education:**
* Government provides education through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme "Support to State Extension Programs for Extension Reforms," known as ATMA and KVKs.
* The ATMA scheme supports State Government efforts, making available the latest technologies and practices through activities like training, demonstrations, and farm schools.
* At least 50% of beneficiaries under ATMA must be from the small and marginal farmer category.
* KVKs promote the adoption of new technologies and capacity development.
* **Increasing Farmer Coverage:**
* The existing ATMA guidelines for 2025 mandate coverage in all districts.
* Emphasis is being placed on national priority areas like natural farming and digital extension.
* ICAR launched an online platform, Kisan Sarathi, to provide multi-way connectivity with technologies and experts.
* **Farmer Beneficiary Statistics (Up to October 31, 2025):**
* 13,643,072 farmers benefited under the ATMA scheme. (Details per State/UT in Annexure-I)
* 7,658,070 farmers trained under KVKs. (Details per State/UT in Annexure-II)
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** Farmers
* **Impact**:
* Gain access to improved agricultural technologies and practices.
* Potential for increased productivity and income.
* Access to online resources and subject matter experts.
* **Action Required**:
* Participate in extension activities and training programs.
* Utilize the Kisan Sarathi platform for information and support.
**Stakeholder:** State Governments
* **Impact**:
* Supported in their efforts to modernize agricultural practices.
* Provision to meet ATMA scheme requirements.
* **Action Required**:
* Implement ATMA scheme guidelines, including selecting at least 50% beneficiaries from Small & Marginal farmer category.
**Stakeholder:** ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)
* **Impact**:
* Responsible for managing and maintaining the Kisan Sarathi platform.
* **Action Required**:
* Ensure the platform provides seamless connectivity and relevant information.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The primary government body responsible for the schemes and agricultural education discussed.
Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) Scheme: A centrally sponsored scheme that provides agricultural education to farmers through state extension programs.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs): Institutions that promote adoption of new agricultural technologies through technology assessment, demonstration, and capacity development.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.274
TO BE ANSWERED ON 2ND DECEMBER, 2025
SCHEMES FOR PROVIDING AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION TO FARMERS
274. SHRI BALWANT BASWANT WANKHADE
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष और िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that farmers in the country are mostly poor and have very small land
holdings and lack access to both technology and knowledge about advanced methods
of farming, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of the Government schemes for providing agricultural education to farmers;
(c) the number of farmers who have been provided education under these schemes during
the last three years and the current year, State-wise; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to increase coverage of farmers under these
schemes?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAM NATH THAKUR)
(a): The average size of land holding as per agricultural census 2015-16 is 1.08
hectares. More than 86 percent of the farmers are operating on small and marginal land
holdings. The Government provides agricultural education to farmers primarily through the
extensive network of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Support to State Extension Programs
for Extension Reforms” popularly known as Agricultural Technology Management Agency
(ATMA) Scheme and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
(b): ATMA Scheme aims at supporting State Government’s efforts and to make available
latest agricultural technologies and good agricultural practices in different thematic areas of
agriculture and allied areas to farmers through different extension activities viz; Farmers
Training, Demonstrations, Exposure Visits, Kisan Mela, Mobilization of Farmers Groups and
organizing Farm Schools etc. Under this Scheme, it has been provisioned that at least 50%
beneficiaries must be selected from Small & Marginal farmer category. Krishi Vigyan Kendras
(KVKs) promotes adoption of new technologies of agriculture and allied sectors by
technology assessment, demonstration and capacity development among the extension
functionaries of state governments and farmers including farm women in different States of
the Country.
(c): The details of farmers benefitted through different extension activities under ATMA
Scheme and KVKs during last three years and current financial year (upto 31st October,
2025) are enclosed at Annexure-I and Annexure-II, respectively.(d): It is provisioned in the existing ATMA Guidelines, 2025 that extent of coverage shall
be in all the districts across the country. More emphasis is being laid on National Priority
Areas like promotion of natural farming, post-harvest technology, marketing, digital extension
for increasing outreach to large number of farmers. Similarly, to increase the coverage, ICAR
has launched an online platform named Kisan Sarathi (System of Agri-information Resources
Auto-transmission and Technology Hub Interface) for providing a seamless, multimedia,
multi-ways connectivity to the farmers with the latest agricultural technologies, knowledge
base and the pool of large number the subject matter experts to farming community.Annexure-I
DETAILS OF FARMERS BENEFITTED UNDER AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY
MANAGEMENT AGENCY SCHEME (ATMA) DURING LAST THREE YEARS AND CURRENT
FINANCIAL YEAR (Upto October, 2025)
SL. No. States/UTs Number of Farmers Benefitted
1 Andhra Pradesh
98,711
2 Bihar
21,13,949
3 Chhattisgarh
2,27,189
4 Goa
34,087
5 Gujarat
7,72,526
6 Haryana
81,600
7 Himachal Pradesh
1,19,941
8 Jammu and Kashmir
1,20,355
9 Jharkhand
1,44,829
10 Karnataka
5,90,109
11 Kerala
2,87,202
12 Maharashtra
13,71,441
13 Madhya Pradesh
6,71,107
14 Odisha
2,74,101
15 Punjab
2,36,040
16 Rajasthan
7,76,389
17 Telangana
13,962
18 Tamil Nadu
20,33,677
19 Uttar Pradesh
18,73,552
20 Uttarakhand
1,64,955
21 West Bengal
7,67,740
22 Assam
1,76,250
23 Arunachal Pradesh
1,40,324
24 Manipur
60,126
25 Meghalaya
91,672
26 Mizoram
20,139
27 Nagaland
2,11,012
28 Tripura
74,239
29 Sikkim
25,510
30 Delhi
6,025
31 Puducherry
25,347
32 Andaman and Nikobar Island
33,089
33 Laddakh
5,877
TOTAL 1,36,43,072Annexure-II
DETAILS OF FARMERS BENEFITTED UNDER KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRAS (KVKs) DURING
LAST THREE YEARS AND CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR (Upto October, 2025)
Sl. No. Name of State/UT Number of Farmers Trained
1 Andaman and Nikobar Island 8,668
2 Andhra Pradesh 2,78,431
3 Arunachal Pradesh 88,606
4 Assam 1,12,251
5 Bihar 7,27,509
6 Chhattisgarh 3,67,131
7 Delhi 4,518
8 Goa 16,839
9 Gujarat 3,46,981
10 Haryana 1,67,631
11 Himachal Pradesh 1,13,043
12 Jammu and Kashmir 1,46,736
13 Jharkhand 2,91,470
14 Karnataka 4,86,839
15 Kerala 3,87,532
16 Ladakh 36,388
17 Lakshadweep 2,673
18 Madhya Pradesh 4,64,061
19 Maharashtra 7,09,485
20 Manipur 39,798
21 Meghalaya 56,216
22 Mizoram 51,410
23 Nagaland 46,047
24 Odisha 2,20,361
25 Puducherry 12,280
26 Punjab 1,18,806
27 Rajasthan 3,22,083
28 Sikkim 19,708
29 Tamil Nadu 5,66,907
30 Telangana 1,82,840
31 Tripura 41,258
32 Uttar Pradesh 8,39,014
33 Uttarakhand 71,787
34 West Bengal 3,12,763
Total 76,58,070
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