Lok Sabha Question No. 1704 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-06
Subject: Quitting Agriculture by Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: JAGDAMBIKA PAL

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1704

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6 TH  March, 2018

## QUITTING AGRICULTURE BY FARMERS

1704.   SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

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

- (a) whether the Government has assessed the number of farmers who have quit agriculture during each of the last three years in each State/ UT;

(b) if so, the details and the outcome thereof, State/UT-wise;

- (c) the  main  reasons  identified  in  the  review  for  quitting  agriculture  by  the  farmers  in  the country;

(d) whether the Government has suggested/advised the farmers to shift towards cash crop cultivation from traditional crops and if so, the details; and

- (e) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to popularize agriculture and ensure that the farmers do not quit agriculture in the near future?

## 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) to (c): No, Madam. However, as per the decennial Census conducted by the Registrar General of India, the total number of agricultural workers in the country, comprising of cultivators and agricultural labourers, have increased from 234.1 million (127.3 million cultivators and 106.8 million agricultural labourers) in 2001 to 263.1 million (118.8 million cultivators and 144.3 million agricultural  labourers) in  2011.  State/UT-wise details of  number of cultivators and agricultural labourers as per Census 2001 and 2011 is given in the Annexure.

(d) & (e): Keeping in view the shift in consumption patterns and varying market conditions, the  farmers  themselves  decide  the  acreage to  put  under  cultivation  for  different  cereal  crops and/ or the cash crops.

With a view to make agriculture attractive and more remunerative, various schemes are being implemented by the Government for increasing farm production and productivity. These include, inter-alia, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Soil Health Card, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas  Yojana,  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana,  Neem  Coated  Urea,  National  Agriculture Market (e-NAM), etc.  The Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of major agricultural commodities has also been progressively increased to ensure remunerative price to the farmers.

## Annexure in reference to Reply to Part (a) of the Unstarred Question No. 1704 due for reply on 06-03-2018

## Number of Agricultural Workers in India (in Million)

| S.No.   | State/ UT                        |   Cultivators |   Cultivators |   Agricultural Labourers |   Agricultural Labourers |   Total |   Total |
|---------|----------------------------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|---------|---------|
| S.No.   | State/ UT                        |       2001    |       2011    |                  2001    |                  2011    | 2001    | 2011    |
|         | ALL INDIA                        |        127.31 |        118.81 |                   106.78 |                   144.33 |  234.09 |  263.14 |
| 1       | JAMMU & KASHMIR                  |          1.59 |          1.25 |                     0.25 |                     0.55 |    1.84 |    1.8  |
| 2       | HIMACHAL PRADESH                 |          1.95 |          2.06 |                     0.09 |                     0.18 |    2.04 |    2.24 |
| 3       | PUNJAB                           |          2.07 |          1.93 |                     1.49 |                     1.59 |    3.56 |    3.52 |
| 4       | CHANDIGARH                       |          0    |          0    |                     0    |                     0    |    0    |    0    |
| 5       | UTTARAKHAND                      |          1.57 |          1.58 |                     0.26 |                     0.4  |    1.83 |    1.98 |
| 6       | HARYANA                          |          3.02 |          2.48 |                     1.28 |                     1.53 |    4.3  |    4.01 |
| 7       | DELHI                            |          0.04 |          0.03 |                     0.02 |                     0.04 |    0.06 |    0.07 |
| 8       | RAJASTHAN                        |         13.14 |         13.62 |                     2.52 |                     4.94 |   15.66 |   18.56 |
| 9       | UTTAR PRADESH                    |         22.17 |         19.06 |                    13.4  |                    19.94 |   35.57 |   39    |
| 10      | BIHAR                            |          8.19 |          7.2  |                    13.42 |                    18.35 |   21.61 |   25.55 |
| 11      | SIKKIM                           |          0.13 |          0.12 |                     0.02 |                     0.03 |    0.15 |    0.15 |
| 12      | ARUNACHAL PRADESH                |          0.28 |          0.3  |                     0.02 |                     0.04 |    0.3  |    0.34 |
| 13      | NAGALAND                         |          0.55 |          0.54 |                     0.03 |                     0.06 |    0.58 |    0.6  |
| 14      | MANIPUR (Excl. 3 Sub- divisions) |          0.38 |          0.57 |                     0.11 |                     0.11 |    0.49 |    0.69 |
| 15      | MIZORAM                          |          0.26 |          0.23 |                     0.03 |                     0.04 |    0.29 |    0.27 |
| 16      | TRIPURA                          |          0.31 |          0.3  |                     0.28 |                     0.35 |    0.59 |    0.65 |
| 17      | MEGHALAYA                        |          0.47 |          0.49 |                     0.17 |                     0.2  |    0.64 |    0.69 |
| 18      | ASSAM                            |          3.73 |          4.06 |                     1.26 |                     1.85 |    4.99 |    5.91 |
| 19      | WEST BENGAL                      |          5.65 |          5.12 |                     7.36 |                    10.19 |   13.01 |   15.31 |
| 20      | JHARKHAND                        |          3.89 |          3.81 |                     2.85 |                     4.44 |    6.74 |    8.25 |
| 21      | ORISSA                           |          4.25 |          4.1  |                     5    |                     6.74 |    9.25 |   10.84 |
| 22      | CHHATTISGARH                     |          4.31 |          4    |                     3.09 |                     5.09 |    7.4  |    9.09 |
| 23      | MADHYA PRADESH                   |         11.04 |          9.84 |                     7.4  |                    12.19 |   18.44 |   22.03 |
| 24      | GUJARAT                          |          5.8  |          5.45 |                     5.16 |                     6.84 |   10.96 |   12.29 |
| 25      | DAMAN & DIU                      |          0    |          0    |                     0    |                     0    |    0.01 |    0    |
| 26      | DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI             |          0.04 |          0.03 |                     0.01 |                     0.02 |    0.05 |    0.05 |
| 27      | MAHARASHTRA                      |         11.81 |         12.57 |                    10.82 |                    13.49 |   22.63 |   26.06 |
| 28      | ANDHRA PRADESH                   |          7.86 |          6.49 |                    13.83 |                    16.97 |   21.69 |   23.46 |
| 29      | KARNATAKA                        |          6.88 |          6.58 |                     6.23 |                     7.16 |   13.11 |   13.74 |
| 30      | GOA                              |          0.05 |          0.03 |                     0.04 |                     0.03 |    0.09 |    0.06 |
| 31      | LAKSHADWEEP                      |          0    |          0    |                     0    |                     0    |    0    |    0    |
| 32      | KERALA                           |          0.72 |          0.67 |                     1.62 |                     1.32 |    2.34 |    1.99 |
| 33      | TAMIL NADU                       |          5.12 |          4.25 |                     8.64 |                     9.61 |   13.76 |   13.86 |
| 34      | PUDUCHERRY                       |          0.01 |          0.01 |                     0.07 |                     0.07 |    0.08 |    0.08 |
| 35      | ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS        |          0.02 |          0.02 |                     0.01 |                     0    |    0.03 |    0.02 |

Note: The Census 2001 figures for India and Manipur exclude that of Mao Param, Paomata and Purul sub-divisions of Senapati district of Manipur

Source: PCA, Census of India, 2011

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