What is ATMA?
Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) is a society of key stakeholders involved in agricultural activities for sustainable agricultural development in the district. It is a focal point for integrating Research and Extension activities and decentralising day to day management of the public Agricultural Technology System (ATS). It is a registered society responsible for technology dissemination at the district level. As a society, it would be able to receive and expend project funds, entering into contracts & agreements and maintaining revolving accounts that can be used to collect fees and thereby recovering operating cost.
Why ATMA?
The ATMA at district level would be increasingly responsible for all the technology dissemination activities at the district level. It would have linkage with all the line departments, research organizations, non-governmental organizations and agencies associated with agricultural development in the district. Research and Extension units within the project districts such as ZRS or substations, KVKs and the key line Departments of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture and Fisheries etc. would become constituent members of ATMA. Each Research-Extension(R-E) unit would retain its institutional identity and affiliation but programmes and procedures concerning district-wise R-E activities would be determined by ATMA Governing Board to be implemented by its Management Committee (MC).
Aims and Objectives:
The aims and objectives for which the ATMA is formed are:
1. To identify location specific needs of farming community for farming system based agricultural development.
2. To set up priorities for sustainable agricultural development with Farming Systems Approach.
3. To draw plans for production based system activities to be undertaken by farmers/ultimate users.
4. To execute plans through line departments, training institutions, NGOs, farmer’s organizations and allied institutions.
5. To coordinate efforts being made by various line departments, NGOs, farmers organizations and allied institutions to strengthen research extension-farmers linkages in the district and to promote collaboration and coordination between various State funded technical departments.
6. To facilitate the empowerment of farmers/products through assistance for mobilization, organization into associations, cooperatives etc. for their increased participation in planning, marketing, technology dissemination and agro-processing etc.
7. To facilitate market interventions for value addition to farm produce.
Roles and Responsibilities of ATMA:
ATMA would be supported by Governing Board (GB) and Management Committee(MC). The Governing Board is a policy making body and provide guidance as well as review the progress and functioning of the ATMA. The Management Committee would be responsible for planning and executing the day-to-day activities of ATMA.
