The full form of raftaar is 'Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation'. It is also known by the name Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The scheme was launched in 2007 as an umbrella scheme for ensuring the holistic development of agriculture and the allied sectors. The scheme incentivizes States to increase public investment in Agriculture and allied sectors.
The scheme was launched with the name Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) which was later rebranded as ‘Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation’ (Raftaar).
The meaning of the Raftaar is that this scheme is financially rewarding the farmers in the Agriculture sector and Allied Sector with financial retribution.
The main objective of 'Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation’ is to develop farming as the primary source of economic activity. This scheme will help the individual's financial independence over the country's most important sector. The other important objectives of Raftaar are as follows:
This scheme helps strengthen the efforts of the farmers and promote agri-business entrepreneurship by creating agri-infrastructure.
This scheme makes the states more flexible and autonomous in planning according to their local needs.
This scheme helps farmers increase their income by providing the proper knowledge of productivity.
It empowers the youth through various skill development, agri-business models, management, and innovation.
It helps in avoiding the losses caused to the farmers’ income by increasing the income sources through different farming elements such as floriculture, hybrid farming, integrated farming, and many more.
The various significance of Raftaar are as follows:
Raftaar helps in promoting private investment in the farm sector across the nation.
It helps in creating the post-harvest infrastructure required for the growth of agriculture, along with strengthening the efforts of the farmers by providing market facilities.
It helps in enhancing land allocation to agriculture and its allied sector.
As Raftaar is an all-India scheme and is widely spread throughout the country, it covers many sectors. These are as follows:
Crop Cultivation and Horticulture
Forestry and Wildlife
Animal Husbandry and Fisheries
Dairy Development, Agricultural Research, and Education
Plantation and Agricultural Marketing
Food Storage and Warehousing
Soil and Water Conservation
Agricultural Financial Institutions, Agricultural Programmes, and Cooperation.
Recently, the Central Government has funded almost 800 startups with an investment amount of Rs 118.65 crore. This investment is made under the Innovation and Agri-entrepreneurship Development Programme component of the Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare to fuel innovation in the field of Internet of things (IoT), Artificial intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and blockchain technology in the agriculture sector.
The government initiated this scheme to modernize India's agriculture and allied sectors to enhance production, quality, quantity, profitability, and efficiency.
The meaning of ‘K’ in the full form of RKVY is ‘Krishi’
The RAFTAAR was launched by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC), Govt of India and the Ministry of Agriculture.
The percentage aim of growth was 4% in agriculture during the launch of RAFTAAR.
The full form of NDC is the National Development Council.
The Innovation and Agri-entrepreneurship Development programme was launched under RKVY to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship.