Lok Sabha Question No. 1540 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-25
Subject: Remunerative Prices for Agricultural Produce
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: DHARMENDRA YADAV, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, Shrirang Appa Barne, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1540

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  25 TH  JULY, 2017

## REMUNERATIVE PRICES FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE

1540.  SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE      ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  deflation  in  vegetables  and  pulses  is  worrisome  as  remunerative prices  are  necessary  to  sustain  farmers  interest  in  growing  such  crops,  if  so,  the response of the Union Government thereto;
- (b) whether  the  recent  dip  in  prices  of  vegetables  and  pulses  may  dissuade widespread sowing of such crops in the upcoming kharif season, if so, the facts thereof;
- (c) whether  vegetable  prices  have  nearly  halved  in  the  vendors  market  despite robust production taking a toll on the income of the farmers;
- (d) if so, whether the wholesale prices of tomatoes, potatoes and onions were lower than the year-ago levels by 44.0 %, 29.7% and 15.0% respectively in May, 2017 and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether besides the above, the wholesale prices of Arhar and Urad declined by 44.1% and 40.1% respectively on a YoY basis in May, 2017; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and the preventive measures taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ Àã·¾ã ½ãâ¨ããè (  SHRI  S.S. AHLUWALIA)

- (a) to (f): The prices are determined by the market forces of demand and supply, quality of produce and seasonality etc.

Government  fixes  Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  for  the  major  agricultural produce  including  pulses  to  ensure  remunerative  prices  to  farmers.  MSP  fixed  by Government for pulses during 2016-17 and 2017-18 are given below:-

(Rs. per quintal)

| Commodity   | 2016-17   | 2017-18       |
|-------------|-----------|---------------|
| Arhar       | 5050^^    | 5450^         |
| Moong       | 5225^^    | 5575^         |
| Urad        | 5000^^    | 5400^         |
| Gram        | 4000^     | Not announced |
| Masur       | 3950*     | Not announced |

^^ Including bonus of Rs. 425/quintal

^  Including bonus of Rs. 200/quintal

*  Including bonus of Rs. 150/quintal

In  addition,  Government  implements the Market  Intervention Scheme  (MIS) for procurement  of  horticultural  and  perishable  agricultural  commodities  which  are  not covered under MSP, in order to protect the growers of such commodities from distress sales, on the request of the State Government.

Area coverage under pulses in current kharif season as on 14.07.2017 is 74.61 lakh hectare which is more by 14.33 lakh hectare as compared to same period of last year.

To facilitate remunerative prices for pulses, Government has procured 11.63 lakh MT of Arhar, 2.19 lakh MT of Moong, 0.89 lakh MT of Urad, 0.27 lakh MT of Masur and 0.54  lakh  MT  of  Chana  during  2016  and  2017  under  price  Stabilization  Fund  (PSF) Scheme. In  addition,  procurement  at  MSP  was  also  undertaken  under  Price  Support Scheme (PSS) through which Government procured 1.21 lakh MT of Moong, 1.96 lakh MT of Arhar and 0.15 lakh MT of Urad.

The  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of  Horticulture  (MIDH),  a  Centrally Sponsored  Scheme  is  being  implemented  w.e.f.  2014-15,  for  holistic  growth  of  the horticulture sector covering all the horticulture crops including vegetables.

Details of MIS implemented for horticulture crops during 2016-17 and  2017-18  at Annexure.

As per Wholesale Price Index (WPI), the prices of vegetables as a group was lower  by  18.5%  in  May,  2017  as  compared  to  May,  2016  and  wholesale    prices  of tomatoes,  potatoes  and  onions  were  lower  by  44.9%,44.4%  and  12.9%  respectively.

Similarly, wholesale  prices of arhar  and  urad  declined  by  43.9%  and    36.9% respectively in May, 2017.

## Annexure

|   S. No. | Year                     | Commodity   | Market Intervention Price (MIP) (Rs. Per MTs.)   | State     | Sanctioned Qty (in MTs.)   |
|----------|--------------------------|-------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------|----------------------------|
|       01 | 01.09.2016 to 30.09.2016 | Grapes      | 42,000/-                                         | Mizoram   | 3,800                      |
|       02 | 01.11.2016 to 30.11.2016 | Onion       | 6240/-                                           | Karnataka | 1,00,000                   |

Annexure referred to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1540 due for 25.07.2017 Details of MIS implemented 2016-17 to 2017-18

|   03 | 01.12.2016 to 30.12.2016   | Onion        | 7070/-                                         | Telangana         | 5,000                                                       |
|------|----------------------------|--------------|------------------------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|   04 | 07.12.2016 to 14.02.2017   | Arecanut     | 2,51000/-for Chali and 2,70000 for Red Variety | Karnataka         | 40,000 MTs (28,000 MT for Chali and 12,000 for Red variety) |
|   05 | 14.12.2016 to 12.01.2017   | Oil Palm FFB | 7650/-                                         | Tamil Nadu        | 1,000 MTs                                                   |
|   06 | 17.02.2017 to 18.03.2017   | Ginger       | 8570/-                                         | Arunachal Pradesh | 12,675/-MTs                                                 |
|   07 | 08.04.2017 to 07.05.2017   | Potato       | 4,870/-                                        | Uttar Pradesh     | 1,00,000                                                    |
|   08 | 02.05.2017 to 31.05.2017   | Red Chilli   | 50,000/-                                       | Telangana         | 33,700                                                      |
|   09 | 02.05.2017 to 31.05.2017   | Red Chilli   | 50,000/-                                       | Andhra Pradesh    | 88,300                                                      |
|   10 | 04.06.2017 to 03.07.2017   | Potato       | 6,000/-                                        | Nagaland          | 6,600                                                       |
|   11 | 17.06.2017 to 16.07.2017   | Turmeric     | 55,720/-                                       | Andhra Pradesh    | 12,100                                                      |
|   12 | 13.06.2017 to 12.07.2017   | Garlic       | 28,600/-                                       | Rajasthan         | 10,000                                                      |
|   13 | 09.06.2017 to 08.07.2017   | Onion        | 5,867/-                                        | Madhya Pradesh    | 6,51,000                                                    |
|   14 | 27.06.2017 to 26.07.2017   | Onion        | 3,650/-                                        | Rajasthan         | 20,000                                                      |

MT: Metric Tonnes

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