Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) - Uttarakhand

What is the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization in Uttarakhand?

Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) is a centrally sponsored scheme that the Department of Agriculture, Government of Uttarakhand, has been running in the state since 2014-15 under the National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology, now a component of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. According to the Uttarakhand Department of Agriculture, the scheme runs on a 90 percent central share and 10 percent state share.

SMAM exists because farm power in Uttarakhand is unevenly distributed. The department's own figure is stark: farm power in the hill districts is about 0.5 kilowatt per hectare, against roughly 3 kilowatt per hectare in the plains. Terraced fields, small holdings and scattered plots make large modern machinery impractical in the hills, so the state uses SMAM to push appropriately sized machines and shared-use models instead of individual ownership of heavy equipment.

The scheme is often called the krishi yantra anudan yojana in Uttarakhand villages, because for most farmers it is simply the route to a subsidised farm implement.

What SMAM sets out to do in Uttarakhand

• Extend the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers.
• Set up Custom Hiring Centres so small farmers can hire machinery cheaply.
• Set up Farm Machinery Banks so equipment reaches marginal farmers and remote areas.
• Build a pool of every category of farm implement at village level.
• Make farmers aware of mechanization through demonstration, capacity building and training.

In the state's own delivery design, Farm Machinery Banks are prioritised in the hill districts and Custom Hiring Centres in the plains, so that machinery reaches remote areas and the physical drudgery on women farm workers is reduced.

How much money does SMAM give an Uttarakhand farmer?

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, SMAM provides financial assistance of 40 to 50 percent of the cost of the machine, depending on the category of the farmer. Small and marginal farmers, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe farmers and women farmers fall in the higher slab; other farmers in the lower slab. Directorate of Agriculture letter number 7808 dated 10 February 2026 instructs district officers to ensure that priority in sanction goes to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, women and small and marginal farmers, following paragraph 6.4.2 of the SMAM guideline.

Two ceilings apply on top of the percentage:

• The subsidy is payable only up to the limit fixed by the Government of India and the state government for that implement.
• The price used for the calculation cannot exceed the rate the manufacturer has published for that model on agrimachinery.nic.in. If a dealer charges more, the district Chief Agriculture Officer is required to act on it.

Assistance for shared-use infrastructure is separate and larger. The Ministry provides 40 percent of project cost to rural entrepreneurs, cooperative societies of farmers, registered farmer societies, FPOs and panchayats for Custom Hiring Centres and hi-tech hubs, and 80 percent of project cost for projects up to Rs 30 lakh to cooperative societies, registered farmer societies, FPOs, self-help groups and panchayats for village level Farm Machinery Banks. Uttarakhand farmers who want that route should read the companion guide on SMAM for Custom Hiring Centres.

Who is eligible for SMAM in Uttarakhand?

You can apply if:

• You are a farmer with a land holding in Uttarakhand. The Uttarakhand Department of Agriculture states the beneficiary category as "all farmers who have land holdings".
• You hold a valid Aadhaar number and an operative bank account for the DBT transfer.
• You are buying a make and model that the Directorate of Agriculture has listed and registered, from that manufacturer's authorised dealer.
• Your district has an unfilled target for that implement in the current financial year.

You cannot apply, or the claim will not be paid, if:

• You are not a land-holding farmer of the state: SMAM individual assistance is tied to a land record.
• You bought the machine before applying, or from an unlisted brand, model or unauthorised seller. Subsidy is payable only on listed models from authorised dealers.
• The machine presented at verification does not match the listed model applied for.
• You have already drawn subsidy on the same implement within the cooling period fixed in the SMAM guideline for repeat benefit.
• You are relying on a waitlisted application from a previous financial year. It is not carried forward and is not eligible without a fresh application.

What documents are required for SMAM in Uttarakhand?

How to apply for SMAM in Uttarakhand online

1. Open the DBT Agri Machinery portal at agrimachinery.nic.in and choose Registration → Farmer. Complete the one-time farmer registration with your Aadhaar number, mobile number, district, block and bank details.
2. Check that Uttarakhand has opened applications for the current financial year and that targets have been distributed to your district and block. The portal shows the open window under Important Notices.
3. Use the Subsidy Calculator on the portal to see the indicative assistance for the implement and your farmer category before you commit.
4. Submit the application for the specific implement, selecting a listed manufacturer and model and an authorised dealer.
5. Once the application is approved and you buy the machine, the dealer uploads the purchase bill on the dealer portal.
6. Present the machine for physical verification by the team constituted by the district Agriculture and Soil Conservation Officer.
7. On a satisfactory verification report the subsidy is sanctioned and credited to your bank account, up to the ceiling fixed under the SMAM guideline and by the state government.
8. Track progress under Tracking → Track Application on the same portal.

How to apply for SMAM offline in Uttarakhand

1. Visit your nearest agriculture office — the Uttarakhand Department of Agriculture's stated instruction for this scheme is exactly that. In practice the block Assistant Agriculture Officer or the district Agriculture and Soil Conservation Officer is the first point of contact.
2. Ask for the current year's implement-wise target list for your block, so you apply only for a machine that still has an unfilled target.
3. Submit the application with your Aadhaar, land record and bank passbook, and collect an acknowledgement.
4. Buy only after approval, from an authorised dealer of a listed model, and keep the original bill for verification.

How to check your SMAM application status

1. Sign in at agrimachinery.nic.in with the mobile number used at registration.
2. Open Tracking → Track Application and enter your application number.
3. Use Track Implement to confirm that the model and serial number recorded by the dealer match the machine you actually received.
4. For anything the portal does not show, ask the block Assistant Agriculture Officer, who holds the district verification and sanction file.

Why SMAM subsidy claims get rejected in Uttarakhand

• Unlisted model or unauthorised dealer. The single most common reason. Directorate letter 7808 dated 10 February 2026 is explicit that subsidy is payable only on listed and registered models purchased from the manufacturer's authorised dealer.
• Bill missing mandatory details. The bill must carry the model, brand, guarantee, serial number, chassis number and warranty period.
• Price above the portal rate. Assistance is calculated on the rate the manufacturer has published on agrimachinery.nic.in, which cannot be changed for one year.
• Mismatch at physical verification between the machine on the ground and the application.
• Aadhaar, name or bank account mismatch, which stops the DBT credit.
• Waitlisted application from the previous year, which lapses automatically.

What are the key dates for SMAM in Uttarakhand?

SMAM runs on an annual action plan cycle. States apply for the year's action plan, the centre allocates targets, and the state distributes district and block level targets before applications open. Uttarakhand publishes its mechanization circulars year-wise on the Department of Agriculture website under Agriculture Mechanization, and the 2025-26 set of six directorate letters was issued on 10 February 2026. Because the waiting list is valid only for the current financial year, a farmer who missed out should watch for the next year's window rather than wait to be called.

Help and grievance redressal for SMAM in Uttarakhand

• Kisaan helpline (Department of Agriculture, Uttarakhand): 18001801551
• CM helpline: 1905
• Directorate of Agriculture, Uttarakhand: Krishi Bhawan, Nanda-Ki-Chowki, Premnagar, Dehradun 248007; 0135-2972421 or 0135-2972422
• DBT Agri Machinery helpdesk: support-agrimech[at]gov[dot]in

Registration on the DBT Agri Machinery portal is free. No dealer or agent can charge a fee for "arranging" the subsidy, and the assistance is paid only into the farmer's own bank account after physical verification.