i. Coverage- With a view to harness the potential of bamboo crop in the country the Ministry of Agriculture launched a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on National Bamboo Mission (NBM) during 2006-07 to be implemented in 27 States in the country. Horticulture Commissioner in DAC is Mission Director for the NBM. Main focus is on the North Eastern States, where bamboo is found extensively.
ii. Mission Directorate- In case of NBM the Horticulture Commissioner in Horticulture Division is designated as Mission Director and functions through administrative support of NHB and technical support from a battery of outsourced technical personnel who are retired Govt officers / ICAR Scientists.
iii. Budgetary Provision during XIth Plan Period- An amount of Rs. 339.6 crore was released to the States till 2010-11. The outlay earmarked for the Scheme during 2011-12 is Rs. 100.00 crore. The year wise details of funds released to the States are given in Table 14.6.
Table 14.6
Details of fund released under NBM
Year Release (Rs. in crore)
2007-08 114.39 2008-09 84.66 2009-10 50.89 2010-11 89.66 2011-12 (allocation) 100.00 Total 439.60
Organizations Created on ad hoc basis within DAC
a. National Committee on Plasticulture Applications in Horticulture- The National Committee Plasticulture Application in Horticulture (NCPAH) has been functioning in the Ministry of Agriculture since 1993 to promote use of plasticulture and precision farming technologies. NCPAH, besides overseeing the implementation of NMMI, is coordinating the programmes of 22 Precision Farming Development Centres (PFDC), which have been established in major State Agricultural Universities and ICAR Institutes in the country. The NCPAH is also functioning as a NLA under NHM for promoting R & D on precision farming through the PFDCs.
There is no budgetary provision for NCPAH by the DAC. However, it receives
contingency funds for monitoring the PFDC and NMMI programmes. During the period 2007-08 to 2010-11, funds to the tune of Rs. 18.70 Crore was released to NCPAH under NHM for PFDCs.
b. National Bee Board -The National Bee Board (NBB) is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative in which the Board, a Registered Society has been functioning under the Chairmanship of Secretary (A&C) since the year 2000 for taking up programmes relating to the beekeeping sector. Formation of NBB is yet to get
Government of India’s approval therefore; it does not have its budgetary provision and a duly approved staffing pattern. The NBB is presently functioning on the basis
of staff drafted from other wings of DAC and sources of fund for its activities under the scheme of NHM, which is taking up various promotional and HRD activities for promoting cross pollination of crops for enhancing crop productivity. During the period 2007-08 to 2010-11, funds to the tune of Rs. 3.21 Crore was released to NBB under NHM.
Scheme of Autonomous Organisations (Central Sector Schemes) A. National Horticulture Board
i. Formation of NHB
- The National Horticulture Board (NHB) was set up in 1984 as an autonomous society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 with a mandate to promote integrated development of horticulture, to help in coordinating, stimulating and sustaining the production and processing of fruits and vegetables and to establish a sound infrastructure in the field of production, processing and marketing with a focus on post-harvest management to reduce losses.ii. Schemes of NHB-
The Board's Schemes being implemented during the EleventhPlan include the following:
a. Credit linked back ended capital investment subsidy scheme for construction/expansion/ modernisation of cold storages and storages for horticulture produce.
b. Credit linked back ended subsidy under development of commercial horticulture through production and post-harvest management.
c. Technology development and transfer for promotion of horticulture. d. Market information service for horticultural crops.
e. Horticulture promotion service.
iii.
Organisation of NHB- NHB has a network of 33 regional offices and marketinformation centres located in almost all the States in the country with exception that in NE region it has its offices in Guwahaty and Gangtok only. The initiative of the Board has helped in developing infrastructure for horticultural development. The Board has been instrumental in bring out the Standards for cold storages. The Board is also working towards operationalisation of National Cold Chain Development Center (NCCDC) promoted by it and operationalisation of F &V dedicated transport system jointly with the Container Corporation (CONCOR).
iv.
Budgetary Outlay- An outlay of Rs. 632.00 crore was provided for NHB Schemes during XI Plan. Outlay for 2011-12 is Rs. 150.00 crore. The year wise details of funds released to NHB are given in Table 14.7.Table 14.7
Details of fund released under NHB
Year Expenditure (Rs. in crore)
2007-08 122.47 2008-09 124.00 2009-10 145.00 2010-11 151.83 2011-12 (allocation) 150.00 Total 693.30
v.
Restructuring of NHB Schemes during XIth Plan – Schemes of NHB have been continued during XIth Plan Period with restructuring which has following salient features-a. Removal of Scheme Overlaps with Mission Mode scheme of NHM and HMNEH- As per this decision, NHB shall undertake projects of area expansion in open field for projects having project area more than 10 acres and in protected condition only if the project area is more than 1000 SQ M. Thus there remain no overlap with Mission Mode Schemes in area expansion Programmes. Even for Cold storages, fruit ripening chambers are on higher technical specifications than those in Mission mode schemes.
b. Synergies with Mission Mode Schemes- this has been achieved by introduction of following two sub components in scheme of NHB.
I. Mother Plant Nurseries
II. Accreditation & Rating of Horticulture Nurseries
c. Horticulture Parks / Common Facility Centres- This is a new scheme component which permits undertaking Common Facilities like CFC at sea- ports, air ports, Inland ports, Inland Container Deports etc and introduction of specialized rail for horticulture produce.
d. Market Intelligence- this newly component may help farmers get not only market information but market intelligence too.
e. National Centre for Cold Chain Development (NCCD) – NCCD has been set up by NHB in association with other stake-holders. This is going to promote quality regime in cold chain infrastructure and meet HRD needs of the sector.