Project CHAMAN - Policy for Horticulture Sector in India Complete Notes for UPSC Exam!

Project CHAMAN (Coordinated Horticulture Assessment & Management using geoinformatics) was launched in September 2014. The project aimed to give a boost to the horticulture sector of the country. It aimed to help states focus on suitable areas and crop types for enhancing production. The need for reliable and timely horticulture statistics mandated the launch of the said project. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers‘ Welfare launched it in 2014. 

Project CHAMAN is a very important topic for the UPSC Civil services exam under the syllabus of the General Studies (GS- 3) paper. This article on Project CHAMAN will help you to prepare for the Prelims and the Mains paper of the UPSC IAS exam.

This article on Testbook will discuss in a detailed way the basics of Project CHAMAN and its achievements. The UPSC aspirants can also take the help of Testbook’s UPSC Free Coaching to boost their UPSC Exam preparation!

Download the PDF on Project Chaman notes for UPSC Exam here.

Study the Article Food and Agriculture Organization here!

What is Project CHAMAN?

Under the Mission of Integrated Horticulture Development (MIDH), DAC&FW initiated Project CHAMAN to assess and develop the horticulture sector through remote sensing and geo-informatics.

• This remote sensing component of the project is being implemented by Delhi-based Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) in collaboration with ISRO centers (SAC, NESAC, and NRSC), where the latter provides technological support to the Centre.
• Usage of satellites and remote sensing technology is done to get data on weather, land use, soil, and crop mapping to prepare an ideal horticulture project.
• The basic idea behind Project CHAMAN is to use space technology to identify horticulture crops suitable to different regions and thus raise their production.

What is Horticulture?

Horticulture is a branch of agriculture. It focuses on growing plants, including medicinal plants, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, and sprouts.

Figures of the Horticulture Sector

• India is the second-largest producer of horticulture crops. It accounts for 12% of global fruit and vegetable production.
• The top crops produced in India include bananas, mangoes, and lemons.
• The horticulture sector covers 25.5 million hectares, which is 20% of the total foodgrain area.
• Horticulture contributes to one-third of India's agricultural GDP.

Significance of the Horticulture Sector

• Horticulture creates jobs, increases farm profits, and provides raw materials.
• Horticultural crops have higher productivity per unit area.
• There is a strong international demand for horticultural products, boosting foreign exchange earnings.

Challenges in the Sector

• High post-harvest losses and limited post-harvest management reduce output.
• Insufficient cold storage and transportation networks.
• Production falls short of meeting the demand for horticultural commodities.

You can also study Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana.

Project CHAMAN Phase I: Objectives

• Area assessment and cultivation forecasting of 7 major horticultural crops in selected states and their districts.
• Scientific field-level studies for crop identification, disease assessment, yield modeling, and precision farming.
• Geospatial Applications for Horticultural Development in the following areas:

 Crop Intensification

• It aims at increasing crop production in a specific land via optimizing the inputs.
• Project CHAMAN’s GIS techniques could help enhance production by taking into consideration the climatic needs of different horticulture crops in hand.
• Further studies in other areas as well like crop research, would receive a boost, thus enhancing crop intensification.

Orchard Rejuvenation

• Orchard rejuvenation stands for restoring the productive capacity of the orchard.
• The rejuvenation process involves various stages, like analyzing the climatic needs of the horticulture crops in a picture or doing specific research about the crops in hand.

•  The project helps in boosting the previously declining orchard production.

Aqua-horticulture

• Aquaculture stands for the growth of aquatic organisms alongside crops in the water medium.
• The aquatic organisms require nutrients for their growth which are provided by the crops growing alongside them.
• The project, which aims at enhancing horticulture production, would help sustain and enhance the scope of aqua-horticulture.

Post-Harvest Infrastructure

• Post-harvest infrastructure is needed to minimize the losses of the crops in the picture.
• It could be done via the use of technology or even manually with skilled labor.
• The project aims at maximizing the production on the field and helps the policymakers assess the requirements of the post-production.

GIS Database Creation

• The database is created by ISRO and available on its BHUVAN platform.
• It helps the policymakers to understand the requirements of different crops and their climatic needs so as to enhance the productivity of the 7 horticulture crops and increase farm income and, thus, consumer satisfaction.

Site Suitability Assessment

• The project helps find the suitable climatic zone for the specific horticulture crops, which would, in turn, help in maximizing their production.
•  A map is created that shows the horticulture crop suitable to a particular region of the country.

For the UPSC examination, learn about multiple government schemes here!

Project CHAMAN: Features

Project CHAMAN carries out mapping of the area and cultivation of the following 7 horticulture crops in 12 states.

Crop	States
Mango	Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh
Banana	Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh
Citrus	Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat
Potato	Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.
Tomato	Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal
Chilli	Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal
Onion	Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra

• It creates a digital inventory of horticultural regions of the country.
• The geospatial data related to Project CHAMAN could be found on the BHUVAN platform of ISRO.
• The project can provide nutrient-rich horticultural crops to the people enhancing food security in India.
• The research helps identify areas of post-harvest loss and how to reduce it by creating post-harvest infrastructures.

Read more about the Zero Hunger Programme here.

Project CHAMAN: Phase II

DAC&FW initiated the Phase-II of the CHAMAN project for the period 2018-19 & 2019-20 wherein the major goals of the CHAMAN Phase – II, as described, were the operationalization of the technologies developed during Phase – I as well as taking up new crops and research & development projects, especially the crop yield modeling.

Objectives of Phase II

• To carry on the research initiated by phase I of the project and ensure geospatial applications for horticulture development.
• Enhancing research and developmental studies via tuning in advanced technologies like usage of microwave data for Kharif assessment, improvement of yield modeling, etc.
• Area assessment and production forecasting of crops on the basis of operational and pilot modes where crops in addition to phase I were added under the pilot mode.

• Following additional crops were added, and the number of districts and state coverage was raised to 265 and 15, respectively.
  • Spices: Coriander, Cumin
  • Aromatic Plants: Mentha
  • Fruits: Grapes, Pomegranate, Apple.
  • Plantation crops: Coconut.

Under phase II of Project CHAMAN, the following were the expected deliverable outcomes of the same:

• Horticultural crop signature library
• Development of Yield models
• Capacity building
• Operational district or state or national level estimates for 7 major horticultural crops
• Horticultural expansion plans for selected districts
• Horticultural maps for selected districts
• Orchard maps on the Geoportal
• Methodology for new crops

Source: ncfc.gov.in

Check the Article on Project Saksham here!

Organisations involved in the Project and their Roles

Agency	Responsibility
Horticulture Division, DACFW	Program Lead
Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC), DACFW	Coordination, Implementation
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO	Geospatial Support and Orchard Mapping in Peninsular India
Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO	Technology Development and Technology Transfer
National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation(NHRDF)	Implementation Partner, especially for vegetable crops
India Meteorological Department (IMD)	Yield Model Development
ICAR Centres	Knowledge sharing, Field Experimentation, Precision Farming
State Horticulture Departments	Ground truth collection and development of implementation plan
State Remote Sensing Centres	Field data collection, Image and GIS analysis

Check out the linked article on the Nutrient-Based Subsidy Scheme for UPSC!

Achievements of Project CHAMAN

Some of the achievements of Project CHAMAN are mentioned below:

Phase I Achievements

• Area assessment and production forecasting of 7 major horticultural crops in selected districts of major states (12 states, 185 Districts).
• National/State/District level area and production estimation done for 7 major horticultural crops.
• Precision Farming and development of horticulture in collaboration with various state horticulture departments.
• Horticulture Expansion Plan for Jhum land areas of North-East States (one district in each North-East state).

Phase II Achievements

• Area assessment and production forecasting of major horticulture crops in selected districts of major states (15 states, 265 Districts).
• The coverage of districts in North East regions has increased.
• UAV-based signature studies are done, and precision farming received a boost.
• Post-harvest infrastructure planning has received a boost with an increase in cold storage across the country.

Overall Achievements of both Phases

• The total horticultural production went up from 211.2 million tonnes in 2007-08 to 341.63 million tonnes in 2021-22.
• India ranks 2nd in the production of fruits and vegetables in the world with the first rank in the production of Banana, Mango, Lime & Lemon, Papaya, and Okra.
• The varieties tolerant to several biotic and abiotic stresses have been recently developed in various fruits, vegetables, and medicinal and aromatic plants.
• Technology for enhancing water and nutrient efficiency through micro-irrigation and fertigation has been developed for an increasing number of horticultural crops.
• In the past few years, the horticulture sector has gained prominence over contributing a growing share in Gross Value Addition of the Agriculture and allied sectors.
• Good Agricultural Practices are being developed in the horticulture sector.
• In the aqua horticulture sector, remote sensing-based assessment of wetlands for Makhana (Foxnut) cultivation in the Darbhanga district of Bihar was done under Project Chaman.
• Phenology assessment of grapes using multi-date remote sensing data in collaboration with ICAR-NRC grapes is done.
• A signature study of vegetable crops using a handheld spectro- radiometer is done.

Read more about High Yield Crops here.

Project CHAMAN: Facts and Figures for UPSC

Facts and Figures for UPSC
Full Form of Project CHAMAN	Coordinated Horticulture Assessment & Management using geoinformatics
Ministry Involved	Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare
Start Date	Phase I: September 2014 Phase II: November 2018
Aim	Optimising horticulture production in the country primarily via geospatial application
States and Districts Involved	Phase I: 12 states and 185 districts Phase II: 15 states and 265 districts
Crops Involved	Phase I: 7 crops Phase II: 7+ crops
Duration of Both Phases	Phase I: Sept 2014 – May 2018 Phase II: 2018-19 & 2019-2020

Read about Zero Budget Natural Farming here

UPSC Previous Year Questions(PYQs)

1.Assess the role of the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity, and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers? (UPSC Civil Services GS- 3 Mains Exam 2018)

Conclusion

• Project CHAMAN is an excellent initiative that aims at strengthening food security as well as increasing farm income which was earlier envisaged by the Ashok Dalwai committee to be doubled by 2022.
• The initiative needs a proper infrastructural boost in other dimensions and needs to be matched by increasing investment in agricultural-related fields to maximize the benefits of the project.

We hope all your doubts related to Project CHAMAN are addressed after going through this article. Testbook also provides comprehensive notes for Civil services and various other competitive examinations. like content pages, live tests, Gk and current affairs mocks, and so on. Ace your UPSC preparation with Testbook. Download the Testbook App now!