Lok Sabha Question No. 3371 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-07
Subject: Alternative to Tobacco Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, ANANDRAO  ADSUL, DHARMENDRA YADAV, Shrirang Appa Barne

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3371

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 7 TH   AUGUST, 2018

## ALTERNATIVE TO TOBACCO FARMING

3371.   SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO: DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE: SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL: SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has put in place schemes or a framework to shift farmers from tobacco farming to alternate farming, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has identified alternate crops for replacing tobacco, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the funds allocated by the Government for tobacco producing States during the last two years for replacing tobacco farming and the amount of funds utilized by the different States to shift from tabacco farming to alternate farming;
- (d) whether there is any early success indicator of alternate farming, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to encourage tobacco farmers to shift to other crops?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री (SHRI  GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a): The Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  &  Farmers  Welfare  (DAC&FW)  has extended Crop Diversification Programme (CDP), an ongoing sub scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) to encourage tobacco growing farmers to shift to alternative crops/cropping system in ten tobacco growing states namely Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka,  Maharashtra,  Odisha,  Tamil  Nadu,  Telangana,  Uttar  Pradesh  and  West  Bengal w.e.f.  2015-16.  Department  of  Agriculture,  Maharashtra  has  not  implemented  the  scheme  as their area is negligible under tobacco. Under CDP, tobacco growing States have given flexibility to  take  suitable  activities/interventions  for  replacing  the  tobacco  to  alternative  crops/cropping system as per the cost norms approved under any Centrally Sponsored Scheme/State Scheme.

Under CDP for motivating the farmers, State may also organize study tours/ exposure visits and campaigns etc. for highlighting harmful effects of tobacco and long term benefits of alternative crops.

(b): The  research  work  carried  out  by  ICAR-Central  Tobacco  Research  Institute  (CTRI), Rajahmundry revealed that a remunerative cropping system rather than a sole crop can be a viable  alternative  to  sole  tobacco  crop.    Alternative  crops/cropping  systems  like  maize,  rice, wheat, ragi, cotton, soybean, mustard, castor, groundnut, black gram, chilly, chickpea, potato, ginger, sugarcane, jute, areca nut, banana, oil palm along with dairy/ poultry/ fishery have been identified  for  the  tobacco  growing  areas  in  different  states.    The  most  preferred  diversified suitable crops adopted for farming reported by some of the states are as under.

|   S.No. | State          | Diversified preferred crops adopted for farming                                                                                                                                                       |
|---------|----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Andhra Pradesh | Bengal gram, Black gram, Green gram, Jowar, Maize & Hybrid Vegetables                                                                                                                                 |
|       2 | Bihar          | Organic vegetable farming                                                                                                                                                                             |
|       3 | Gujarat        | Wheat, Pulses, Nutri Cereals (Jowar, Bajra), Paddy, Cotton & Vegetables                                                                                                                               |
|       4 | Karnataka      | Cereals/millets, pulses, sugarcane, oilseeds, horticultural crops (Mango, Banana, Papaya) flowers, plantation crop and vegetables                                                                     |
|       5 | Odisha         | Hybrid Maize, Millets, Vegetables, Oil Seeds (Groundnut & Mustard) Cropping system like vegetable- maize/ millets, vegetables- groundnut/ mustard, vegetables- urd/bengal gram, vegetables-vegetables |
|       6 | Tamil Nadu     | Hybrid Maize and Hybrid Vegetables like Tomato, Brinjal & Bhindi                                                                                                                                      |
|       7 | Telangana      | Bengal gram, Chillies & Oil palm                                                                                                                                                                      |
|       8 | Uttar Pradesh  | Lentil, Bengal gram, Wheat & Mustard                                                                                                                                                                  |
|       9 | West Bengal    | Mustard, Vegetables, Potato & Wheat                                                                                                                                                                   |

(c): The  allocation  of  funds  (Central  Share)  by  the  Government  of  India  to  various  States during the last two years along with the expenditure (Central Share + State Share) reported by the States to shift from tobacco farming to alternate farming is given below:

(Rs. in lakh)

| S. No.   | State          | 2016-17              | 2016-17             | 2017-18                | 2017-18             |
|----------|----------------|----------------------|---------------------|------------------------|---------------------|
| S. No.   | State          | Allocation (BE) (CS) | Expenditure (CS+SS) | Allocation (B.E.) (CS) | Expenditure (CS+SS) |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh | 945.00               | 1323.00             | 210.10                 | 252.00              |
| 2        | Bihar          | 80.00                | 65.45               | 17.80                  | 15.57               |
| 3        | Gujarat        | 905.00               | 96.54               | 201.23                 | 380.16              |
| 4        | Karnataka      | 720.00               | 658.36              | 160.08                 | 133.25              |
| 5        | Maharashtra    | 13.00                | 0.00                | 2.86                   | 0.00                |
| 6        | Odisha         | 11.00                | 0.00                | 2.45                   | 0.00                |
| 7        | Tamil Nadu     | 24.00                | 0.00                | 5.33                   | 21.60               |
| 8        | Telangana      | 47.00                | 0.00                | 10.47                  | 12.95               |
| 9        | Uttar Pradesh  | 172.00               | 0.00                | 38.21                  | 103.70              |
| 10       | West Bengal    | 83.00                | 129.00              | 18.47                  | 30.77               |

BE-Budget Estimate, CS-Central Share, SS-State Share

The expenditure under CDP is shared on 60:40 basis between Central & State Governments

(d): Government of Telangana, Odisha & Karnataka have reported experience of farmers for cultivation of alternative crops to tobacco. Government of Telangana has informed that tobacco farmers  shifted  to  alternative  crops  like  Bengal  gram  &  chillies.  In  Odisha  farmers  shifted towards  vegetables  like  tomato,  cauliflower,  cabbage,  chilly  &  hybrid  maize,  sunflower, lemongrass, groundnut, black gram etc. In Karnataka tobacco farmers adopted alternative crops like soybean followed by sugarcane during 2017.

(e): In  order  to  encourage  farmers  to  shift  tobacco  growers  to  other  crops,  a  National Seminar on Crop Diversification sponsored by DAC&FW, was organized by the ICAR-CTRI at Rajahmundry to exchange of information and experiences of various stakeholders on various issues relating to tobacco diversification. Tobacco Board in collaboration of CTRI has conducted two  National  Seminars  at  Rajamahendravaram  for  Andhra  Pradesh  and  at  Mysore  for Karnataka to identify and create awareness among the farmers about alternative available to tobacco.  Tobacco Board in collaboration of State Department of Agriculture & allied Departments of Government of Karnataka conducted a seminar at Periyapatna on cultivation of alternative  crops  to  tobacco.  Tobacco  Board  has  also  distributed  pamphlets  on  package  of practices for alternative crops to Flue Cured Virginia ( FCV) tobacco.

In  addition  to  above,  DAC&FW  is  supplementing  the  efforts  of  the  States  through implementation  of  various  crop  development  programme  like  National  Food  Security  Mission (NFSM), Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI), National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil  Palm  (NMOOP),  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY),  National  Mission  for  Sustainable Agriculture  (NMSA),  National  Mission  on  Agricultural  Extension  &  Technology  (NMAET),  Soil Health  Card  Scheme,  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY),  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) etc

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