Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE) - Uttarakhand

What is the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE) in Uttarakhand?

The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Extension (SMAE) in Uttarakhand is the state's agricultural extension programme, run by the Department of Agriculture through the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) in each district. SMAE is a component of the Centrally Sponsored Krishonnati Yojana (formerly the Green Revolution umbrella), and its central pillar is the scheme "Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms," commonly known simply as ATMA.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture's ATMA guidelines, the aim is to make the extension system farmer-driven and farmer-accountable by carrying new technology and know-how from research stations directly to farmers' fields. In Uttarakhand this matters especially in the hill districts, where scattered holdings and difficult terrain make it hard for farmers to reach agricultural information on their own.

SMAE is not a cash-transfer scheme. It delivers services and knowledge, not money. The benefit a farmer receives is skill, exposure and access to technology, through training courses, demonstrations on real fields, visits to successful farms, and direct interaction with scientists.

What does SMAE actually provide?

Under SMAE, the district ATMA in Uttarakhand organises a mix of activities on an annual calendar:

• Farmer training programmes; on improved varieties, natural and organic farming, pest management, water saving and post-harvest handling.
• On-farm demonstrations; new seeds, practices and machinery tried out on a farmer's own field so results are visible locally.
• Exposure visits: groups of farmers taken to progressive farms, research stations and other states to see better practices first-hand.
• Farm schools; season-long, field-based learning led by a lead farmer.
• Kisan Melas and farmer-scientist interactions, large events where farmers meet scientists, see exhibitions of implements and drones, and raise their own problems.
• Farmer groups — formation of Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs) and Commodity Interest Groups (CIGs), some of which are later consolidated into Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).

Who is eligible for SMAE in Uttarakhand?

You can take part in SMAE if:

• You are a farmer, farm woman or rural youth resident in Uttarakhand.
• You cultivate land in the district, whether as owner or cultivator.
• You register your interest with the block agriculture office or district ATMA.

The ATMA guidelines give priority to small and marginal farmers, women and the rural young, and require that at least 30% of resources and beneficiaries be women or women's groups and a fair share go to SC and ST farmers. There is no income test to attend a training or demonstration.

Who is not eligible for a cash payment: because SMAE hands out services and not money, nobody is eligible for a direct cash transfer under it. A farmer who expects a cash instalment cannot apply for one here. The value is training, exposure and technology access, not a bank credit. Selection for specific activities such as on-farm demonstrations is done locally by the ATMA against a limited seasonal quota, so not every registered farmer will be chosen for every activity in a given year. A person who does not cultivate any land in the state, and has no interest in farming, farm labour or allied activity, falls outside the target group for demonstrations and exposure visits.

How much support does SMAE provide?

SMAE is a services scheme, so the "benefit" is measured in training days and activity slots rather than rupees paid to a farmer. According to the Ministry of Agriculture's ATMA cafeteria of activities, the cost norms that fund these activities include refreshments, meals and stay during a farmer training capped at Rs 450 per farmer per day, a training kit and agricultural inputs of up to Rs 300 per participant, and travel by bus or sleeper-class rail reimbursed at actual cost for exposure visits. Farm schools run for a full crop season, and the guidelines allow an honorarium of up to Rs 250 per visit for an external trainer, for a maximum of six visits. These are the norms the district ATMA works within; a farmer does not receive these sums in hand, they pay for the food, travel, materials and expert time that make the free activity possible. Because Uttarakhand is a hill and special-category state, the central government funds a larger share of these costs than in the plains states.

How to apply for SMAE in Uttarakhand

Because SMAE is delivered through the district administration, the route is offline and local:

1. Visit your block agriculture office or the district ATMA office and ask to be registered as an interested farmer, farm woman or rural youth.
2. Give your name, village, land details and mobile number so you can be contacted when a training, demonstration, exposure visit or Kisan Mela is scheduled in your area.
3. Join a Farmer Interest Group (FIG) or Commodity Interest Group (CIG) if one is being formed for your crop, group members are often the first to be selected for demonstrations and exposure visits.
4. Attend the scheduled activity on the notified date. Trainings and demonstrations are free, and travel and food support for exposure visits may be provided under the annual plan.

You can also learn about upcoming activities through your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), which works closely with ATMA on farmer training.

How do I find out what activities are planned near me?

SMAE has no personal online tracker, because there is no individual application to track. Instead, each district ATMA in all 13 districts of Uttarakhand draws up an annual action plan from its Strategic Research and Extension Plan (SREP), and the calendar of trainings, demonstrations, Kisan Melas and exposure visits flows from that plan down to the block level. The practical way to stay informed is to keep your mobile number on the block agriculture office list and to be an active member of an FIG or CIG, since group members are contacted first. The Department of Agriculture portal at agriculture.uk.gov.in lists district and block office contacts you can call to ask what is scheduled for the coming season.

How is SMAE structured and funded?

SMAE runs on a bottom-up planning model. Each district ATMA prepares a Strategic Research and Extension Plan (SREP) and an annual action plan based on local farmer needs, which then feeds the state plan. Funding is shared between the central and state governments in the ratio set for Centrally Sponsored Schemes, and for hill and special-category states like Uttarakhand the central share is higher. This is why activities and their scale can vary from district to district and year to year. They follow each district's approved plan and budget.

Common questions and problems

• "I never hear about trainings": the fix is to get your mobile number onto the block agriculture office and ATMA list, and to join an FIG or CIG so you are in the loop.
• "I wasn't selected for a demonstration": demonstrations cover a limited number of farmers each season; ask to be considered in the next cycle, and use trainings and Kisan Melas in the meantime, which have open participation.
• "Is there a portal to apply online?": SMAE participation is handled through the district ATMA offline; the state's agriculture portal (agriculture.uk.gov.in) is the place to read about the department's schemes.

Where do I get help?

• District ATMA and block agriculture offices. The working contact points for all SMAE activities.
• Department of Agriculture, Uttarakhand, agriculture.uk.gov.in lists the department's schemes and district offices.
• Kisan Call Centre, the national toll-free farmer helpline 1800-180-1551 for general agricultural queries in Hindi.

SMAE services are free. No farmer should pay any agent to be included in a training, demonstration or exposure visit.