Lok Sabha Question No. 2695 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-01
Subject: Commission on Agriculture Issues
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU, NAGENDRA KUMAR PRADHAN, DUSHYANT CHAUTALA

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2695

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  1 ST  AUGUST, 2017

## COMMISSION ON AGRICULTURE ISSUES

2695.  DR. GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU: SHRI NAGENDRA KUMAR PRADHAN: SHRI DUSHYANTCHAUTALA:

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

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the  Union Government  has  appointed a number  of  Commissions/ Committees to study agriculture and farmers issues and give suggestions for agricultural reforms and if so, the details of such Commissions/Committees appointed since independence and the major suggestions made by them;
- (b)  whether  some  Non-Governmental  Organisations  (NGOs)  have  approached  the Supreme  Court  for  implementation  of  the  recommendations  of  the  Swaminathan Commission in letter and spirit and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  Supreme Court  has issued  any direction  in  this regard  and  if  so,  the details thereof and the response of the Government thereto;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  of  Andhra  Pradesh  has  recently  sent  'Jayathi  Ghosh Commission' report on Farmers Issues to the Union Government and if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government in this regard; and
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government for implementation of suggestions/recommendations  of  Commissions/Committees  including  Swaminathan Commission in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã  ½ãñâ  Àã·¾ã  ½ãâ¨ããè (  SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a):      The  Union  Government  had  constituted  two  major  Commissions  to  study agriculture  and  farmers  issues  and  give  suggestions  for  agricultural  reforms,  viz.,  the National Commission on Agriculture, 1976 and the National Commission on Farmers (NCF), 2004. The major recommendations of the NCF is as follows:

- (i) Asset  Reforms  covering  land,  water,  livestock,  fisheries  and  bio-resources  and having National Agricultural Bio-security System in place.
- (ii) Farmer-friendly Support Services including setting up of Bio-Technology Regulatory Authority, and covering extension, training and knowledge connectivity, credit and insurance, assured and remunerative marketing opportunities,  inputs and services.
- (iii) Curriculum reforms in the Agriculture Universities in order to promote entrepreneurship amongst the students.
- (iv) Providing for Special Categories of Farming, increase in farmers' income through co-operative farming, contract farming, promoting small  holders' estates in order to  improve viability  of  small  and  marginal  farmers  and  entrusting the  Panchayat Raj Institutions with responsibility for agriculture.
- (v) National  Loan  Use  Advisory  Service  to  provide  timely  advice  to  farmers  about optimum use of land, taking into account the climatic and market conditions.
- (vi) Setting  up  of  market  Price  Stabilization  Fund  and  Agriculture  Risk  Fund  and coverage of farmers under a comprehensive National Social Security Scheme.
- (vii) Creation of a National Food Security and Sovereignty Board and enacting a Food Guarantee Act.
- (viii)  Rural non-farm livelihood initiatives to create non-farm employment opportunities in rural areas.

(b) & (c): Youth Kamal Organization, Consortium of Indian Farmers Association and Citizens Resource and Action Initiative (CRANTI) have approached the Supreme Court for  implementation  of  the  recommendations  of  the  Swaminathan  Commission.  As  of now, the matter is sub-judice.

- (d): No, Madam.

(e): Government had constituted the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) under the Chairmanship of Dr. M. S. Swaminathan in 2004. The Commission submitted five reports to the Government. The major recommendations of the Commission contained in the five reports were included in the 'Draft National Policy for Farmers' submitted by the  Commission  itself  in  2006.  Based  on  the  'Draft  National  Policy  for  Farmers',  the Government  approved  the  National  Policy  for  Farmers-2007,  which  aims  to  improve economic viability of farming and increase net income of farmers.

Policy provisions in NPF-2007 include, inter-alia,  (i) asset reforms in respect of land, water, livestock, fisheries and bio-resources; (ii) supply of good quality seeds and disease-free  planting  material,  (iii)  issue  of  soil  health  passbooks  to  the  farmers  and integrated  pest  management  system;  (iv)  region  and  crop  specific  implements  and machinery;  (v)  support  services  for  women;  (vi)  timely,  adequate  and  easy  reach  of institutional credit at reasonable interest rates and farmer-friendly insurance instruments;  (vii)  support  services  and  inputs  like  application  of  frontier  technologies; (viii)  agricultural  bio-security  system;  (ix)  use  of  Information  and  Communication Technology (ICT) and setting up of farm schools to revitalize agricultural extension; (x) coverage  of  farmers  under  a  comprehensive  national  social  security  scheme;  (xi) effective  implementation  of  Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  across  the  country  and establishing  community  foodgrain  banks;  (xii)  development  of  agricultural  market infrastructure and terminal markets for agriculture; (xiii) curriculum reforms in agricultural  universities;  (xiv)  special  categories  of  farming  like  organic  farming  and contract  farming;  (xv)  rural  non-farm  employment  initiative  for  farm  households;  and (xvi) integrated approach for rural energy, etc. The various schemes/programmes/missions  adopted  by  the  Ministry  are  based  on  the  National Policy for Farmers-2007.

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