Topics Covered:
- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
- Development processes and the development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
- Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
- e-technology in the aid of farmers.
State of Maharashtra’s Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (SMART) Project
What to study?
- For Prelims: Key features of the project.
- For Mains: Significance of the project and challenges ahead.
Context: Maharashtra Government has launched World Bank assisted State of Maharashtra’s Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (SMART) Project to transform rural Maharashtra.
Aim: to revamp agricultural value chains, with special focus on marginal farmers across 1,000 villages.
State of Maharashtra’s Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (SMART) Project:
- The objective of project is to create and support value chains in post-harvest segments of agriculture, facilitate agribusiness investment, stimulate SMEs within the value chain.
- Focus: It will also support resilient agriculture production systems, expand access to new and organised markets for producers and enhance private sector participation in the agribusiness.
Coverage:
- It will cover almost one-fourth of Maharashtra. Its focus is on villages which are reeling under worst agriculture crisis compounded by lack of infrastructure and assured value chains to channelize farm produce.
Significance:
- The project is giant step towards transformation of rural economy and empowerment of farmers and also sustainable agriculture through public-private partnership (PPP) model.
- It seeks to ensure higher production of crops and create robust market mechanism to enable farmers to reap higher remunerations for the yield. It unites agriculture-oriented corporates and farmers by providing them common platform.
Sources: the hindu.
Mains Question: Critically analyse the potential of agribusiness to address agrarian distress in India.
