Sub-Mission on Agroforestry – Har Medh Par Ped

SMAF, branded "Har Medh Par Ped" (a tree on every field bund), is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). Running since 2016-17, it gives farmers subsidised planting material and assistance to plant fruit, timber, medicinal and oilseed trees on their farm boundaries and blocks — alongside their regular crops, not replacing them.

Any farmer — landholding or tenant — in the 21 states and 2 UTs where SMAF operates. Small and marginal farmers are given priority. The scheme covers Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and the UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Fruit-bearing trees, timber species, medicinal and aromatic plants, tree-borne oilseeds (neem, mahua, karanj), and host plants for silk and lac rearing. The specific species list varies by state and agro-climatic zone — your District Agriculture Office will recommend species suited to your region.

SMAF is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The Centre pays 60% and the state 40% of the cost in general-category states; 90:10 in North-Eastern and hilly states; and 100% Central funding in UTs. The farmer receives subsidised planting material and plantation assistance — the exact share a farmer contributes, if any, depends on the state's implementation rules.

There is no central online portal for farmer applications. Contact your District Agriculture Office or Rural Agriculture Extension Officer (RAEO), submit Aadhaar, land records and bank details, and the officer will register you and help prepare a plantation plan. Selection happens at district level.

SMAF is designed for agroforestry, not monoculture tree planting. Boundary plantation puts trees on field bunds (medh) that are usually unproductive land anyway. Block plantation occupies a portion of the field, but the remaining area continues growing regular crops. Over time, the tree income adds to — rather than replaces — crop income.

It depends on the species. Fast-growing fruit trees like papaya or drumstick can start yielding within 1–2 years. Timber species like teak or shisham take 10–15 years for full harvest but provide intermediate income from pruning and thinning. Medicinal and aromatic plants can generate revenue from year 2–3. The mix of species in an agroforestry plan is designed to give both short-term and long-term returns.

Yes. NBM focuses specifically on bamboo — from planting to processing and market linkage. SMAF covers a much broader range of tree species (fruit, timber, medicinal, oilseed, silk/lac host plants) and is specifically about integrating these trees into existing farmland. A farmer can potentially benefit from both schemes if planting bamboo on boundaries (under NBM) and other trees in blocks (under SMAF).

As of mid-2024, ₹909.82 crore had been released to 17 states, covering plantation and eco-restoration over 1.55 lakh hectares across the participating states and UTs.

Yes. The scheme supports buy-back arrangements and price guarantees for farm-grown trees, so a farmer has market assurance before a tree matures. The specific market-linkage support varies by state — check with your District Agriculture Office for what is available in your area.