Assessment of Constraints and Suggestion Insights from Beneficiaries of Centrally Sponsored Agricultural Schemes: A study of PKVY, PMKSY and SHC in Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra, India

Abstract

The present study focused on assessing the constraints faced by the beneficiaries of centrally sponsored agricultural schemes namely Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), and the Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC) and invited suggestions from them to overcome the constraints. For the proposed study, 60 beneficiary farmers were selected from Amravati districts and 60 beneficiary farmers were selected from Buldhana districts in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra for each scheme. Thus, for the three schemes, a total of 360 beneficiary farmers were selected. In the case of PKVY beneficiaries, the major constraints faced were lack of proper marketing channel for organic produce, lack of sustainability in the reduction of cost of organic cultivation and reduced productivity of organic farm produce even after conversion period. Whereas, in the case of constraint faced by PMKSY beneficiaries, the first constraint faced by the beneficiary was longer time for getting the subsidy credited, followed by lack of increase in the sources of irrigation and load shedding of electricity. In the case SHC beneficiaries, the major constraint faced were long time gap between soil sample collection and issuing SHC, difficulty to comprehend the information and follow the recommendations provided in SHC and lack of effective training and demonstrations provided to farmers about soil health. In the case of PKVY beneficiaries, majority of them (74.17%) gave the suggestion for establishment of proper marketing channel for organic produce, followed by 34.17 per cent of them suggested the strengthening of farmer groups and developing them into Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). Whereas in the case of PMKSY beneficiaries, 84.17 per cent of them suggested to ensure timely crediting of subsidies, followed by expansion of irrigation infrastructure through the construction of water harvesting structures such as check dams, farm ponds, tanks and bore wells (59.16%). In the case of SHC beneficiaries, majority of them (85.83%) gave the suggestion to speed up the process of issuing Soil Health Cards and 71.66 per cent suggested for training programs and field level demonstrations focused on soil health and the practical application of SHC recommendations to improve farmers' knowledge and skills.