The ATMA model
The Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) is a district-level autonomous society that integrates state agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries and sericulture extension into a single bottom-up planning unit. It was launched in 2005-06 under the umbrella of the Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms (SMAE).
What ATMA delivers
- Trainings on production, post-harvest, value-addition for individual farmers and groups.
- On-farm demonstrations of new varieties and best practices, free for participating farmers.
- Exposure visits — inter-district and inter-state for progressive farmers.
- Kisan Melas — district-level agricultural fairs featuring inputs, technology, FPO booths.
- Farmer-Scientist interactions with KVKs and ICAR institutes.
- FIGs and CIGs — Farmer Interest Groups and Commodity Interest Groups — building blocks for FPOs.
- Farmer Friend — 1 per 2 villages, a village-level paraextension worker who is the first-point contact between farmers and ATMA.
How to access — step by step
- Walk into the District ATMA Office, usually co- located with the Krishi Bhavan / DDA office; or register interest with the village Farmer Friend (1 per 2 villages).
- For general training enrolment — no application required. Trainings are announced via Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Gram Panchayat notice board, ATMA Whatsapp groups.
- For demo plot allocation, the Block Technology Manager (BTM) shortlists farmers; selection often requires nomination by Farmer Friend or by an FIG.
- For exposure visits and inter-state tours, ATMA calls for nominations; SC/ST/SMF/Women farmers receive priority.
- For becoming an FIG/CIG, ten farmers with a common commodity register with BTM; CIGs are the building block for an FPO under the 10,000 FPOs scheme.
- For technical handholding, the Block Agriculture Officer (BAO), Block Technology Manager (BTM) and Subject Matter Specialist (SMS) form the field-extension team.
Latest changes (2024 — 2026)
- March 2024: ATMA framework refreshed under the umbrella RKVY — district extension plans now mandatorily integrate AgriStack Farmer ID data for beneficiary targeting.
- August 2024: Krishi Sakhi (women CRPs under DAY-NRLM) formally added as paraextension layer alongside Farmer Friend; convergent training under NMNF.
- January 2025: ICT-driven extension (Kisan Suvidha 2.0, mKisan portal) integrated with ATMA training calendar; farmer-side SMS/IVR alerts consolidated.
- June 2025: Digital Crop Survey roll-out enabled real-time demo-plot geo-tagging, reducing ghost-claim risk.
- 2025-26: Outlay under RKVY umbrella maintained; ATMA Cafeteria expanded for Shree Anna (millets) and natural farming demos.
Common reasons farmers miss ATMA benefits
- Demo allocation quota: demo plots are limited; farmers not on the Farmer Friend nomination list miss out.
- Farmer Friend inactive: under- performing Farmer Friends leave villages disconnected from ATMA training calendar.
- Block Technology Manager (BTM) vacancies: many districts run with BTM vacancies, slowing extension delivery.
- FIG/CIG dormant: groups formed for paper compliance but not active; remediate by Gram Sabha review.
- Training calendar not communicated: farmers without smartphones/SMS access miss announcements; village notice board posting is mandated but not uniform.
Grievance: Block Technology Manager → District ATMA Project Director → State Nodal Officer for Extension → MoA&FW Extension Division.
Coverage statistics
Per MoA&FW data, ATMA operates across 691 districts in 28 states + 5 UTs. Annual training coverage runs to several lakh farmers; on-farm demonstrations cover 1 — 2 lakh hectares; exposure visits cover tens of thousands of farmers. Kisan Melas and Farmer-Scientist interactions are documented in MoA&FW annual reports tabled in Parliament. State-wise variation is substantial — Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, UP, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh maintain high-functioning ATMAs.
How ATMA stacks with other schemes
ATMA is the district-extension layer that delivers most other schemes' field knowledge to farmers. Krishi Sakhi extends ATMA into women-led paraextension under DAY-NRLM convergence. RKVY is the funding umbrella. NFSM, NMEO-Oilseeds, NMNF, PKVY, MIDH and Rashtriya Gokul Mission all use ATMA channels for demonstrations. ICAR-KVKs collaborate with ATMA for the Farmer-Scientist interaction sub-component.
Related
- Krishi Sakhi (paraextension for women).
- RKVY (parent umbrella).