Lok Sabha Question No. 3121 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-21
Subject: Agrarian Crisis
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: JANAK RAM, ANIRUDHAN SAMPATH

O.I.H

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3121

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 21 ST   MARCH, 2017

## AGRARIAN CRISIS

3121.      SHRI JANAK RAM: DR. A. SAMPATH:

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

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any study on the regions facing agrarian crisis in the country;
- (b) if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and
- (c) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  encourage  the  use  of  modern agricultural  techniques  to  sustain  growth  of  agriculture  and  to  solve  the  problem  of  agrarian crisis in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  PARSHOTTAM  RUPALA)

- (a) & (b): Taking cognizance of the problem of Agrarian distress and consequent farmers suicide in country, Government has undertaken a study 'Farmers Suicide in India: Causes and Policy Prescription' as an All India coordinated study in the work plan 2016-17. The study was allotted to Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru as a coordinator of the study. The study is being conducted in major suicide hit States of the country.
- (c):           Agriculture,  including  agricultural  indebtedness,  being  a  State  subject,  the  State Governments take appropriate measures for development of agriculture in the State. However, Government of India supplements the efforts of States through appropriate policy measures and budgetary support.

Under  agriculture  mechanization,  there  is  a  programme  namely,  Submission  on Agricultural  Mechanisation (SMAM) is concerned,  financial assistance as cost subsidy to the tune of 25-40% is being provided for the individual ownership of the farm machinery which is also  applicable  for  farm  machinery  component  under  other  schemes  of  the  Department  for different categories of Machinery & Equipment. The financial assistance @40% is provided for establishment  of  farm  machinery  banks  to  provide  custom  hiring  services  for  the  benefits  of small and marginal farmers. For installing solar photovoltaic water pumping system, financial' assistance of  Rs. 43,200/Horsepower to Rs. 63,360/Horsepower is provided. To promote the mechanization  in  selected  village  with  low  level  of  farm  mechanization,  financial  assistance @80% of the project cost for farm machinery banks is given to a group of minimum 8 farmers.

Hiring assistance for various farm operations carried out through the farm machinery banks set up under financial assistance is also provided @50% of the cost of operation/ha limited to Rs. 2000 per ha. to farmers.

To support the agricultural Mechanization in North Eastern States where the Mechanization level is very low, the maximum permissible subsidy per machine per beneficiary is  provided  @50% limited  to  Rs.  1.25  lakh/beneficiary  for  procurement  of  various  agricultural machinery and equipments for individual ownership, and 95% of the cost of the machinery/Implement up to Rs. 10 lakhs per farm Machinery bank for the establishment of Farm Machinery Banks with a minimum of 8-10 farmers respectively. During the year 2016-17, cost subsidy of Rs. 10.74 crore has already been released in the first installment to NE States under the different components of SMAM.

Under the component 1 of SMAM, Agricultural Mechanization through Training, Testing and Demonstration, a total of 2267 women were trained during the current Financial Year 201617,  (till  December  2016).  A  list  of  about  30  identified  gender-friendly  tools  and  equipment developed by the Research and Development Organization for use in different farm operations has already been sent  to all States and UTs for popularizing them. State Governments have been  directed  to  earmark  30  per  cent  of  total  funds  allocated  under  SMAM  for  women beneficiaries.

To  promote  the mechanization of  small and marginal farm holdings and farm holding in difficult  area  with  low  level  of  mechanization,  the  efforts  have  been  made  to  concentrate  on establishment  of  farm  Machinery  Bank  &  Hi  tech,  high  productive  farm  machinery  hubs  for custom hiring services. Under the components 4,5 & 6 of the SMAM total Rs. 91.44 crore as cost subsidy, has already been released to States in the first installment to establish 1662 Farm machinery Banks for providing the custom hiring services in the country till December 2016.

In  order  to  achieve  fast  pacing  farm  growth  and  increasing  the  agricultural  production, Crop Science Division of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has prioritized research and  development  programmes  in  rice,  wheat,  maize,  millets,  fodder  crops,  oilseeds,  pulses, sugarcane,  cotton  and  other  fiber  crops.  These  research  programmes  are  undertaken  by  26 commodity  theme  based  research  institutes  and  33  All  India  Coordinated  Research  Projects (AICRPs)  and  All  India  Network  Projects  (AINPs),  mostly  situated  in  State  Agricultural Universities (SAUs) to develop location specific crop varieties and matching technologies as per the agro-ecological needs.

The  crop·  improvement  programmes  give  emphasis  on  development  of  new  crop varieties/hybrids  with  improved  quality  and  tolerance/resistance  to  biotic  and  abiotic  stresses and making crops able to withstand the weather extremities. As a result of these efforts, 308 high yielding varieties/hybrids of different crops including 155 of cereals, 50 of oilseeds, 44 of pulses, 33 of fibers, 17 of forages and 9 of sugarcane with fair degree of tolerance to biotic and abiotic  stresses  have  been  released for  cultivation  by  the  farmers during  the  year  2016.  The structured  science  and  development  programmes  of  ICAR    has  led  to  production  of  12484 tonnes  breeder  seeds  of  different  crops  during  2015-16  that  were  supplied  to  different  seed producing agencies so that quality seeds of improved varieties/hybrids could be made available to the farmers for cultivation and boost the productivity and production in major crops.

Contd…3/-

The  institutes  under  the  Crop  Science  Division  of  ICAR  is  regularly    conducting nationwide  Front  Line  Demonstrations  (FLDs),  on  and  off  farm  trainings,  skill  development programmes,  improved  technology  demonstrations  including  varieties/hybrids  in  pursuit  of technology  transfer  and  to  create  awareness  amongst  the  farmers  for  adopting  improved scientific  packages  and  practices  to  enhance  the  farm  productivity  and  production.  Besides, they  are  regularly  organizing  Kisan  Melas,  Farmers'  Field  Days,  Kisan  Gosthis,  scientistsfarmers interfaces/ meetings on different aspects of crop production & protection, packages and practices, website updating, sensitization through print and electronic media and empowering the  farmers  with  knowledge.  In  addition,  the  improved  varieties  and  production  technologies were  also  demonstrated  at  the  farmers'  fields  by  the  ICAR  institutes,  State  Agricultural Universities (SAUs) and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) through frontline demonstrations (FLD) programme  to  create  awareness  among  the  farmers  about  them.  Besides,  Bringing  Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) and National Food Security Mission programmes are also being implemented wherein improved agricultural technologies/package of practices, improved varieties/hybrids are promoted. ICAR is providing technical backstopping in these programmes.

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