For the year 2017-2020, the RKVY scheme is being re named as RKVY- RAFTAAR ie. RKVY- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation. RKVY-RAFTAAR aims at making farming a remunerative economic activity through strengthening the farmers’ effort, risk mitigation and promoting agri-business entrepreneurship. The main objectives of the scheme are:

1. To strengthen the farmers’ efforts through creation of required pre and postharvest agri-infrastructure that increases access to quality inputs, storage, market facilities etc. and enable farmers to make informed choices.
2. To provide autonomy, flexibility to States to plan and execute schemes as per local/ farmers’ needs.
3. To promote value chain addition linked production models that will help farmers increase their income as well as encourage production/productivity
4. To mitigate risk of farmers with focus on additional income generation activities - like integrated farming, mushroom cultivation, bee keeping, aromatic plant cultivation, floriculture etc.
5. To attend national priorities through several sub-schemes.
6. To empower youth through skill development, innovation and agri-entrepreneurship based agribusiness models that attract them to agriculture.

During 2017-18 the following components were projected under RKVY:

1. INFRASTRUCTURE AND ASSETS ENHANCING PRODUCTION

One of the core principles of the implementation of the RKVY scheme is to improve and provide adequate infrastructures and assets which are essential to catalyse the existing production scenario for achieving higher production. With this core principle in mind, the Department during 2017-18 proposed to undertake the establishment of naturally ventilated tubular structure with pack house for vegetables under RKVY.

2. SPECIAL SCHEME

Mushroom is a palatable food accepted by people as daily diet and alternative to meat & fish. It is an important source of essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. In addition, straw which is the main raw material in low cost mushroom units are available in plenty in the State as by-products which can be utilised? In addition, the production Technology of mushrooms is simple with low cost and easily available to the interested farm/entrepreneur and is a quick returning crop with 50 to 100% profit which can be an important source for self employment of unemployed youths and women. Contrary to other farm enterprises, land is not a requirement in mushroom cultivation. Moreover the demand for mushrooms in the State is far much greater than the supply, given the fact that mushrooms are a delicacy for almost all the people of the State.

Therefore, with a view to popularize this nutritious and highly remunerative crop, the Department proposed to take up low cost Mushroom units with an earmarked amount of Rs. 86.00 Lakhs (Rupees eighty five Lakhs) only during 2017-18 under Special Scheme of RKVY.

3. FLEXI FUND

The Department firmly believes that Women Participation is an important aspect to horticulture development and entrepreneurship development which will go a long way in uplifting the socio-economic scenario of the State. Women can play a crucial role not only through their participation in the fields but also through various small scale or home scale preservation activities.

With this in mind and to promote and encourage Women’s participation in Horticulture, it is proposed to take up home scale preservation activities specifically for women/women SHGs under Flexi fund of RKVY during 2017-18. The objective under home scale preservation is to enhance the capacity of the food preservation practitioners with technical input in conformity with quality control measures and food safety standards for “entrepreneurial development” in order to fetch better incomes, to facilitate networking of different stake holders i.e. producers, processors and marketers for production of raw material with value addition and marketing for improved sustained economic development and to support grass root women/SHGs with user friendly equipments/ machines, chemicals and preservatives and packaging materials. This program will provide income generating activities for Women/ Women self-help groups while minimizing post harvest losses of the fruits and vegetables owing to their high perishability.

The amount proposed for the aforementioned activity is Rs. 85.00 Lakhs (Rupees eighty five Lakhs) only under RKVY 2017-18.

4. SKILL DEVELOPMENT

The fast development of horticultural industry in the past decade has opened vast opportunities for skilled manpower on various aspects of horticultural operations. Implementation of suitable human resources development programme for skill improvement in various horticultural techniques is the need of horticultural industry. Training is an important tool for the transfer of technology. The importance of training is realized more in an a vocation like horticulture whose specialized practices like Fruit preservation, beekeeping, mushroom production, floriculture, hops production, medicinal and aromatic plant cultivation etc. can be effectively learnt only through continuous training process. In addition, the Honb’le Prime Minister of our country has initiated the Skill India Campaign for transforming the country into a land of skilled individuals.

In line with the Skill India Development campaign and with a view to strengthen the Human resource of the Horticultural sector in the State, an amount of Rs. 34.48 Lakhs (Rupees thirty four Lakhs) only has been proposed for providing trainings/ capacity building programmes to the farmers/entrepreneurs and Staff for strengthening the Human Resource Base of the State under Skill Development of RKVY during 2017-18.

During 2017-18 under RKVY, from a total amount of Rs. 443.00 Lakhs the department has so far received Rs. 212.00 Lakhs out of which establishment of naturally ventilated tubular poly house structure for high value vegetables integrated with Pack house and Production and Post Harvest Management of the Naga Sweet Cucumber, an Indigenous off-season variety of cucumber are in process of implementation.