Farmers’ feedback–driven policy recommendations under Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA): Evidence from Gorakhpur District, Uttar Pradesh

Introduction

The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA) is a flagship national initiative aimed at strengthening the agricultural sector through the dissemination of improved technologies, enhancement of farmer awareness and promotion of sustainable farming practices. Conceived in alignment with the Government of India's vision of building a resilient, self-reliant and farmer-centric agricultural system, the Abhiyan emphasizes direct engagement between farmers and scientists to bridge existing knowledge and technology adoption gaps, particularly ahead of the Kharif cropping season. Through on-field interactions and participatory learning, VKSA seeks to accelerate technology transfer and promote informed decision-making at the grassroots level. The Abhiyan was implemented through a convergencebased strategy under the theme "One Nation-One Agriculture-One Team", ensuring coordinated efforts among the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (DA&FW), State Governments, Agricultural Universities, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and allied line departments. A national-level core group was constituted to plan, guide and monitor the implementation of the Abhiyan across the country. The programme was executed nationwide during the period from 29 May to 12 June 2025 under the guidance of central leadership. VKSA focused on providing regionspecific advisories related to crop and livestock management, efficient input use, soil health card-based crop and fertilizer selection, and creating awareness about ongoing government schemes and policies. In addition to technology dissemination, the Abhiyan served as a platform for capturing farmers' perceptions, constraints and expectations through structured and interactive feedback mechanisms. This participatory approach enabled the identification of ground-level challenges related to infrastructure, input availability, extension services, marketing and risk management. Systematic documentation of farmers' feedback was undertaken to generate evidencebased insights for policy formulation and programme refinement. www.extensionjournal.com

The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA) was also implemented in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh from 29 May to 12 June 2025. The broad objectives of the Abhiyan included: 1. Dissemination of modern technologies for Kharif crops; 2. Dissemination of information on government schemes and policies; 3. Promotion of soil health card-based crop and fertilizer management; and 4. Preparation of innovation documents through systematic collection of farmers' feedback.

Thus, VKSA represents an important step towards integrating farmers' voices into the agricultural policy framework, contributing to sustainable productivity enhancement, livelihood security and inclusive growth of the agricultural sector.

Materials and Methods

The VKSA activities were conducted in Gorakhpur district from 29 May to 12 June 2025. A total of three programmes were organized daily in selected villages covering different blocks of the district. Farmers participating in these programmes represented various landholding categories and farming systems. Each day, feedback was collected from 25 farmers, resulting in a total sample size of 375 farmers, using open-ended discussions, group interactions and field observations. Farmers were encouraged to share their experiences related to government schemes, availability of infrastructure, input supply, market access and extension services. The collected feedback was compiled daily and categorized into thematic areas such as policy design, infrastructure, inputs, marketing and extension. Descriptive analysis was carried out to identify dominant issues and recurring policy demands. The findings were further synthesized to develop a policy action matrix relevant to agricultural and allied sector development.

Results and Discussion

Farmers' Feedback and Emerging Policy Concerns under VKSA

The feedback collected from farmers during the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA) revealed multiple, interlinked constraints affecting agricultural productivity, livelihood security and technology adoption in the study area (Table 1). The issues raised by farmers were not limited to input supply or extension gaps but reflected deeper structural and policy-level challenges requiring immediate attention.

Human-Wildlife Conflict as a Dominant Constraint

Among all concerns, damage caused by stray and wild animals emerged as the most severe and urgent problem faced by the farming community. Farmers consistently reported that crop depredation by wild animals, particularly Neelgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), has reached alarming levels, leading to substantial yield losses and discouragement from crop cultivation. A significant observation during VKSA was that many farmers expressed a preference for effective control of wild animals over financial incentives or subsidies under government schemes. This highlights that unresolved human-wildlife conflict can undermine the effectiveness of all developmental interventions and threatens the sustainability of farming systems. The findings indicate an urgent need for a comprehensive and region-specific wildlife management policy integrating physical barriers, community-based monitoring and inter-departmental coordination.

Need for Farmer-Category-Specific Schemes Farmers strongly emphasized that government schemes should be designed separately for small, medium and large landholders. The current uniform approach was perceived as inequitable and ineffective, as it fails to account for differences in resource availability, risk-bearing capacity and production objectives. Small and marginal farmers sought support for subsistence, risk mitigation and allied enterprises, while medium and large farmers demanded market linkage, mechanisation and enterprise diversification. This feedback underscores the importance of differentiated policy design for inclusive and farmer-centric development.

Constraints in Input Availability and Infrastructure

Timely availability of quality inputs such as seed, fertilizers and agrochemicals was reported as inconsistent, particularly during peak cropping periods. Farmers also highlighted the limited availability of high-yielding, drought-tolerant and disease-resistant crop varieties, which restricts their capacity to cope with climatic variability. Inadequate irrigation infrastructure, non-functional tube wells and irregular power supply further aggravated production risks. Farmers stressed the need for assured electricity connections to every farm and timely water supply through irrigation channels, indicating critical infrastructure gaps that constrain productivity.

Awareness and Accessibility of Government Schemes

A major institutional gap identified was the low level of awareness regarding government schemes and procedures among farmers. Complex application processes and procedural delays were cited as barriers to accessing benefits. Farmers demanded simplified processes, continuous availability of schemes throughout the year and stronger support at the village level. These findings point towards the need for decentralised extension mechanisms, digital facilitation and proactive outreach by line departments and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).

Marketing, Price Realisation and Post-Harvest Challenges

Farmers reported dissatisfaction with price realisation for agricultural produce, highlighting the absence of assured and remunerative pricing mechanisms. Post-harvest losses, lack of storage, processing and organized marketing infrastructure further reduced farm income. These challenges reinforce the need for strengthening value chains, local aggregation centres and farmer producer organisations to improve market access and income stability.

Extension Gaps and Capacity Building Needs

The study revealed substantial knowledge gaps in scientific crop management practices, including weed management, pest and disease control, climate-smart agriculture and soil health improvement techniques. Limited awareness and adoption of natural and organic farming practices were also observed. Farmers reported inadequate dissemination of information regarding farm mechanisation technologies such as Zero tillage, Happy Seeder and Super Seeder, despite their relevance for sustainable intensification. The demand for regular, village-level trainings and closer monitoring of frontline demonstrations indicates the need for strengthening participatory extension and follow-up mechanisms.

Allied Sector Development and Risk Management

Farmers expressed strong interest in allied sector enterprises such as dairy, goatery, poultry and fisheries, but emphasized the need for scalable schemes ranging from small to large units. Additionally, dissatisfaction was expressed regarding the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), particularly the non-receipt of compensation during crop failure. Farmers recommended that insurance benefits should be assessed and delivered at the individual farmer level to ensure transparency and trust in the scheme.

Policy Implications

Overall, the feedback indicates that farmers' expectations extend beyond input subsidies towards systemic reforms addressing wildlife conflict, infrastructure, scheme design, extension delivery and market integration. The VKSA platform effectively captured ground-level realities and highlighted the necessity of integrating farmer feedback into policy formulation. Addressing these issues through coordinated, evidence-based and farmer-centric policy actions is essential for achieving the broader goals of sustainable and resilient agricultural development.

Policy Recommendations

Based on the farmers' feedback collected during VKSA, the following policy recommendations are proposed:

Management of Stray and

References

1. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan launched under the initiative of Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan. ICAR official announcement. May 2025.
2. Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICARCIFA). Hon'ble Agriculture Minister launches Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. Press release. Government of India. 29 May 2025.
3. Economic Times. Govt to launch pan-India farmers awareness campaign from May 29 to boost Kharif output. Economic Times. 2025.
4. Times of India. 8.85 lakh Odisha farmers enrolled under crop insurance scheme: minister. Times of India. 2025.