The creation of Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) with specific task is a welcome setup in required direction under this, different line departments, institutions, organizations and farmer are needed to be organized to introduce a new form of extension delivery system which is decentralized, demand driven, farmer accountable, location specific, system based, par- ticipating, well integrated with research-farmer-market linkage, technically and financially sustainable in its orientation.
Aims and Objectives of ATMA
- To identify location specific needs of farming community for farming system based agriculture development.
- To set up priorities for extension reforms to develop sustainable agriculture with a farming system approach.
- To draw plans for production based system activates to be undertaken by farmers/ultimate users.
- To execute plan through line department, training institutions, NGOs farmer’s organizations and allied institutions
- To coordinate efforts being made by various line departments, training institutions, NGOs farmer’s organizations and allied institutions strengthen Research-Extension-Farmer’s linkages (R-E-F-L).
- To facilitate market intervention for value addition of farm produce.
- To promote IPM, INM, IFS and any other activity related with the promotion of sustainable agriculture.
ATMA is mandated prepare the road map for the development of agriculture in the district by preparing Strategic Research and Extension Plan (SREP) of the concerned district it has to be prepared through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) involving all stakeholders.
The strategies and the activities proposed to be undertaken in the SREP are necessarily demand driven, agro ecological situation specific, market oriented, multidisciplinary in system, envisaging bottom up approach with practical implications.
The development and use of SREP would help in following aspects:-
- Get an overview of the prevailing scenario in the district.
- Explore and understand the problems and opportunities in different farming systems, preferences and priorities of the farming community.
- Facilitate long term visioning and strategic planning for agriculture development in the district in a concerted manner.
- Facilitate involvement of all actors at different in the development process and, in the long run, share the load on the public extension system.
- Facilitate integration of and redesigning the on-going developmental programmer for the benefit of the farmers.
- Development of annual action plan for each block in respect of the prevailing Agro-Ecological Situation.
- Develop farmer centered market oriented extension research management system.
