Lok Sabha Question No. 3950 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-20
Subject: Cost of Cultivation of Small Holdings
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: A.T. (NANA) PATIL, CHANDU LAL SAHU, SANTOSH AHLAWAT, DILIP KUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3950

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  MARCH, 2018

## COST OF CULTIVATION OF SMALL HOLDINGS

3950.  SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL: SHRI CHANDU LAL SAHU: SHRIMATI SANTOSH AHLAWAT: SHRI DILIPKUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether 69 per cent of farmers have less than one hectare of land, 17 per cent families have one to two hectares of land and 36 per cent of farmers are landless and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the cost of cultivation in comparison to the price of produce due to their small holdings has pushed farmers towards indebtedness;
- (c) if so, the total amount of loan per farmer family as per the survey conducted in the year 2013 in the country;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  ensure  zero  cost  of  agriculture  and promote cooperative agriculture; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State-wise  and  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  make farmers free from indebtedness?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a): The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), conducted a Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural  Households  during NSS 70 th round  (January  -  December, 2013) in the rural areas of the country with respect to the agricultural year (July 2012 - June 2013).

As per the survey results, the estimated number of agricultural households in rural India was 90.2 million.  About 69 per cent of the agricultural households in rural India were estimated to  possess  land  less  than  1.00  hectare.  Besides,  17  per  cent  of  agricultural  households  had land  holdings  between  1.00  hectare  and  less  than  2.00  hectares.  Only  2.6  per  cent  of  the agricultural households were estimated to have land holdings  less than 0.01 hectare. Further, at  All  India  level  0.1  per  cent  of  the  agricultural  households  were  reported  to  have  not possessed any land at the time of the survey.

Based on the survey, a statement on percentage distribution of agricultural households by size class of land possessed (in hectare) is placed at Annexure.

(b) & (c): According to the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households, 2013, the average amount of outstanding loan per agricultural household was estimated to be approximately  about Rs. 47,000/-. However, loans reported in the survey includes all kinds of outstanding loans irrespective of the purpose for which loans were taken. Information on the reasons for the debt was not collected in the survey. Therefore, the results of the survey does not suggest that the cost of cultivation, due to  small holdings, in comparison to the price of produce, has pushed farmers towards indebtedness.

(d) & (e): To  promote  Agriculture,  the  Government  is  implementing  programmes  like, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Neem Coated Urea, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) etc.  Initiatives of the Government to reduce cost of production and raise yield  levels include promotion of cluster farming, adoption of modern technologies, Integrated  Farming  Systems,  Soil  Health  Card,  Production  and  supply  of  quality  seeds,  bio pesticides for promoting Integrated Pest Management, etc. To ensure remunerative prices to farmers, several steps like fixing Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for major agricultural crops, undertaking procurement through designated procurement agencies, implementing e-National Agriculture Market, etc. have been undertaken.

The  Government has taken up several initiatives  like  the  Interest  Subvention  Scheme and    the  Kisan  Credit  Card  Scheme  for    strengthening  the    farm  credit  delivery  system  for providing credit at lower rates of interest to support the resource requirements of the agricultural sector.    Farmers  have    also    benefited  through  formation  of  Joint  Liability  Groups,  Farmer Producer Organisations, etc.

Agriculture being a state subject, State Governments are also extending assistance to the farmers through various schemes and programmes.

## Annexure

Annexure referred in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question Number 3950 due for answer on 20/03/2018

Percentage  Distribution of Agricultural Households  by  size class of land possessed (ha.) based on the results of Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households, 2013

| S.No.   | Size class of land possessed (hectare)   | Percentage of agricultural households   |
|---------|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| (1)     | (2)                                      | (3)                                     |
| 1       | < 0.01                                   | 2.6                                     |
| 2       | 0.01 - 0.40                              | 31.9                                    |
| 3       | 0.41 - 1.00                              | 34.9                                    |
| 4       | 1.01 - 2.00                              | 17.1                                    |
| 5       | 2.01 - 4.00                              | 9.4                                     |
| 6       | 4.01 - 10.00                             | 3.7                                     |
| 7       | 10.00 +                                  | 0.4                                     |
| 8       | All Sizes                                | 100                                     |

Source:  NSS  Report  No.  569:  Some  Characteristics  of  Agricultural  Households  in  India,  NSSO,  Ministry  of  Statistics  & Programme Implementation.

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