About Us
To restructuring and strengthening of agricultural extension machinery, Extension Reforms in India were pilot tested in 28 Districts in 7 States from 1998 to 2005. This successful experiment served as a basis to launch the Scheme “Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms” in the year 2005-06. It was revamped, expanded and strengthened comprehensively in the year 2010 & 2014. It is currently operational in 676 districts.
National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology (NMAET) was Started in 2014-15 with Sub mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE) . Now SMAE has been subsumed as sub-scheme of Umbrella Scheme- Green Revolution – Krishonnati Yojana 2017-18. Under this the centrally Sponsored Scheme Support to State Extension Programme for Extension Reforms (ATMA Scheme) comes the Scheme.
The Scheme “Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms” aims at making extension system farmer driven and farmer accountable by disseminating technology to farmers through new institutional arrangements viz. Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) at district level to operationalized the extension reforms on a participatory mode.
This Scheme shall focus on the following key extension reforms :
Encouraging multi-agency extension strategies involving Public/Private Extension Service Providers.
Ensuring an integrated, broad-based extension delivery mechanism consistent with farming system approach with a focus on bottom up planning process.
Adopting group approach to extension in line with the identified needs and requirements of the farmers in the form of CIGs & FIGs and consolidate them as Farmers Producer Organizations;
Facilitating convergence of farmer centric programmes in planning execution and implementation.
Addressing gender concerns by mobilizing farm women into groups and providing training to them. The above objectives shall be met through strengthened institutional arrangements, dedicated manpower, Innovative Technology Dissemination component and revamped strategy.