In addition to the measures mentioned above, the Indian agricultural policy contained a number of other elements, some of which are outlined below:
(i) Improving the system of agricultural marketing through the establishment of regulated markets and introducing a variety of measures like standardization of weights and measures, grading and standardisation of farm output, providing information regarding market prices, etc. to farmers. Efforts have also been made to strengthen the cooperative marketing structure.
(ii) Initiation of steps to improve the economic condition of agricultural workers. In this category comes a measure to enforce minimum wages, abolition of bonded labour, grant of agricultural land to landless labourers, schemes for expanding rural employment, etc.
192.185.163.50/~jilanjo/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/JilanjoSampleEdit2008-Sala711.jpg
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(iii) Promotion of agricultural research and training to discover new high-yielding varieties of seeds, optimum utilisation of soil and water resources, development of techniques for increasing productivity of soil, etc.
(iv) To meet the demand for bringing in more crops into the purview of crop insurance extending its scope to cover all farmers and lowering the unit area of insurance, the government introduced a new scheme titled ‘National Agriculture Insurance Scheme’ (Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojana) in the country from 1999-2000. The scheme replaced the earlier Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme operative since 1985.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
(v) The Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) was set up in January 1994 to generate agri-business activities with the theme objective of securing expanding employment opportunities and raising income levels in the rural areas through effective support to various types of agri-business.
(vi) A Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) was set up within NABARD in 1996-97 to provide credit for medium and minor irrigation and soil conservation projects.
(vii) Most of the restrictions on agricultural exports have been removed. Export oriented units in the floriculture sector are being set up and import of capital goods, plant and machinery for establishing food processing units has been made more liberal.
(viii) An Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) was launched during 1996-97 to give loan assistance to the states to help them complete some incomplete irrigation projects.