Strategies for National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
- Integrated Nutrient Management Techniques: The NMSA will concentrate on encouraging site and crop-specific integrated nutrient management practices to improve soil health, increase agricultural yield, and maintain the quality of land and water resources.
- Integrated agricultural system: Under the NMSA, activities such as horticulture, livestock, fishery, agroforestry, and value addition are to be pursued alongside cropping systems.
- Management of water resources: Under NMSA, it is planned to concentrate on efficient management of the water resources that are already accessible and increasing water usage efficiency.
- Agronomic techniques: The NMSA intends to promote better agronomic techniques for higher farm productivity, such as improved soil treatment, increased water holding capacity, prudent chemical usage, and improved soil carbon storage.
- Database: The National Soil Survey Agency (NMSA) aims to promote the adoption of the site and soil-specific crop management practices by building a database on soil resources through land use survey, soil profile study, and soil analysis on GIS (Geographic Information System) platform.
- Technology Adoption: The NMSA attempts to accomplish its goals through promoting resource conservation technology and introducing methods that would aid in disaster mitigation during extreme climatic occurrences, such as protracted dry spells, floods, etc.
- Interventions: NMSA aims to embrace and spread rainfed technologies that have a wider reach in underserved areas. It is planned to be accomplished by coordinating investments from other programs like MGNREGS, National Food Security Mission, National Mission for Agricultural Extension & Technology, etc., and leveraging those investments.
- Professional involvement: NMSA will work with academic institutions and industry experts to create climate change adaptation and mitigation techniques for particular agro-climatic settings and to promote these strategies through suitable agricultural systems.
National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture
Indian agriculture, which provides food to the nation covers around 51% of the net sown area of the country and is primarily rainfed. To fulfill the country’s rising demand for foodgrain, rainfed agriculture must be developed along with resource conservation, climate change, and sustainability. A stable climate and high-quality natural resources are both necessary for maintaining agricultural productivity. Given these parameters, the Government of India launched National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) in 2014-15.