Lok Sabha Question No. 343 (STARRED), answered on 2018-03-20
Subject: Doubling of Income of Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: RATTAN LAL KATARIA

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

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 343

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  MARCH, 2018

## DOUBLING OF INCOME OF FARMERS

## *343.      SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  rise  in  income  of  the  farmers  in  the  country  during  each  of  the years from 2014 to 2017, State-wise;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  expounded  a  4-Point  agenda/solution  to  double  the income of the farmers by 2022 and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken various steps to create infrastructure for storage of procured crops and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government/his Ministry is coordinating with other Ministries to develop industrial  township around the villages so that farmers and their kins may be able to get alternative jobs and market for their produce and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the details of policies prepared by the Government to extend the benefits to the poor farmers  and  promote  share/mix  cropping  practice  amongst  the  farmers  along  with  the outcome thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè

(SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  343   DUE FOR REPLY ON 20 TH  MARCH, 2018.

- (a):      According to the latest 'Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households' conducted  by  National  Sample  Survey  Office  (NSSO)  in  2013,  the  average  monthly income  per  agricultural  household  from  all  sources  is  estimated  to  be  Rs.  6,426/. However,  NSSO  has  not  conducted  any  such  survey  since  2013  and  as  such  the estimates for rise in income of farmers during 2014 to 2017 are not available.
- (b):     Yes, Madam. Government is focusing on four major aspects to achieve the goal of doubling farmers' income by 2022. These include: reducing input costs; ensuring fair price for the produce; reducing wastage; and creating alternate sources of income. An Inter-Ministerial  Committee  has  been  constituted  under  the  Chairmanship  of  CEO, National Rainfed Area Authority on 13.04.2016 to examine issues relating to doubling of farmers' income and recommend a strategy to achieve the same by the year 2022.
- (c):        Yes,  Madam.  Government  is  implementing  various  schemes/  programmes  to strengthen storage infrastructure for procurement of crops in the country. The subsidy linked  Central  Sector  Scheme,  i.e.,  Agricultural  Marketing  Infrastructure  (AMI),  sub scheme of Integrated Scheme of Agricultural Marketing (ISAM), is being implemented by the Ministry  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers' Welfare in  order  to  improve/create  scientific storage capacity for storing farm produce, processed farm produce and to reduce post harvest storage losses. Under this scheme, 65.14 Million MT storage capacity has been sanctioned so far (as on 31-01-2018).

Against the overall storage capacity required for the central pool of foodgrains of about 600 lakh metric tonnes, the total capacity available with Food Corporation of India (FCI)    and State    Agencies for storage  of foodgrains as on 31.01.2018 is 735.46 lakh

-2- metric tonnes. However, to augment capacities in specific areas and to modernize the storage  facilities  in  the  country,  Government  is  implementing  Private  Entrepreneurs Guarantee  (PEG)  Scheme;  Central  Sector  Scheme  for  Construction  of  Godowns  in North Eastern States along with Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Kerala; and Action Plan for Construction of Steel Silos.

(d):         Union  Government is implementing various schemes/ programmes to promote non-farm  employment  opportunities  for  the  farmers.  In  particular,  Ministry  of  Food Processing  Industries  is  implementing  Scheme  for  Creation  of  Infrastructure  for  Agro Processing Clusters under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana to incentivize the setting  up  of  100  agro  processing  clusters  in  the  country.  These  clusters  would  add value  to  the  horticultural/  agricultural  produce  and  reduce  wastage  of  the  surplus produce  and  thereby  resulting  in  increase  of  income  of  the  farmers  and  creation  of employment opportunities at the local level.

(e):      With a view to increase benefits of farming to the poor farmers, Government is implementing various schemes and programmes focused on promoting share cropping and  encouraging  mixed  cropping.  The  major  schemes  for  assisting  the  farmers  in making farming more beneficial are: Crop Diversification Programme under Rashtriya Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY);  Rainfed  Area  Development  under  National  Mission  for Sustainable  Agriculture;  National  Mission  on  Oilseeds  and  Oil  Palm  (NMOOP);  and Sub-Mission on Agro-Forestry. Government has also set up 690 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)  and  676  Agricultural  Technology  Management  Agencies  (ATMAs)  at  district level  for dissemination of technologies among farm community. In addition, farmers are

-3- provided information through Focused Publicity Campaigns, Kisan Call Centres (KCCs), Agri-Clinics  and  Agri-Business  Centres  (ACABC)  of  entrepreneurs,  Agri  Fairs  and exhibitions, Kisan SMS Portal, etc. In addition, a Model Act on Agricultural Land Leasing has been suggested by the NITI  Aayog to  facilitate  the  States  for  enactment  of  their  own  land  leasing  laws.  This may facilitate share cropping by encouraging the land owners to lease out without any fear  of  losing  land  right;  and  enabling  the  tenant  farmers  to  access  bank  credit, insurance, disaster relief and other support services.

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