Lok Sabha Question No. 2175 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-29
Subject: Industry Status to Agriculture Sector
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: PRATAPRAO GANPATRAO JADHAV, RAJU ALIAS DEVAPPA ANNA SHETTI, RAMA DEVI

O.I.H

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2175

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29 TH   NOVEMBER, 2016

## INDUSTRY STATUS TO AGRICULTURE SECTOR

2175.      SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

SHRI RAJU SHETTY: SHRIMATI  RAMA DEVI:

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

- (a) whether the agricultural sector is becoming an unremunerative profession of the farmers in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  reasons  therefor  and  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  ameliorate  the dismal condition of farmers and agriculture sector in the country;
- (c) whether there have been demands from various quarters for according industry status to agriculture and having separate budget for agriculture sector and if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government thereto;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  attract  investment  and  improve  the growth rate in the agriculture sector; and
- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  investment/funds  sanctioned  for  the  purpose during the said period and the achievements therefrom?

## ANSWER

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

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  S.S. AHLUWALIA)

- (a) & (b): As per Agriculture Census 2010-11, about 85 per cent of the operational holdings are held by small and marginal farmers in the country. Such holdings are generally too small to generate sufficient income for the farmers.

In order to improve the condition of farmers, several measures have been taken by the government  which  includes,  inter-alia,  promotion  of  integrated  farming,  improving  soil  health, creation  of  efficient  marketing  infrastructure,  timely  delivery  of  credit,  technology  and  other inputs, etc. Government has also focused on the aggregation of small and marginal farmers into groups for overcoming market imperfections and to realize better prices for their produce.

(c): Union  Government  receives  representations  from  time  to  time  on  various  issues concerning  the  agriculture  sector.  In  order  to  protect  the  interest  of  farmers,  a  number  of schemes/programmes are being implemented to supplement the efforts of State Governments towards making agriculture viable.

(d) & (e): Government has taken several steps to attract investment in the agriculture sector by focusing on improving  irrigation practices,  developing warehousing  infrastructure for increasing  shelf  life  of  agricultural  produce,  setting  up  of  Agri-tech  Infrastructure  Fund, promoting  commercial  organic  farming,  increasing  institutional  credit  to  farmers,  progressive increase in Minimum Support Prices, etc.

Schemes  like,  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY),  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchai Yojana  (PMKSY),  Soil  Heath  Card  and  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY)  under National  Mission  for  Sustainable  Agriculture  (NMSA),  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of Horticulture  (MIDH),  e-National  Agriculture  Market  (e-NAM),  etc.,  are  being  implemented  in convergent framework to increase investment and growth rate in the agriculture sector.

Details of funds sanctioned and expenditure incurred under these major schemes during the last three years are given in the Annexure.

ANNEXURE

## Allocation and Expenditure on Major Schemes of DAC&FW for Improvement in Agricultural Infrastructure

(Figures in Rs. Crore)

|                                                                                                                                                   | 2014-15   | 2014-15     | 2015-16   | 2015-16     | 2016-17   | 2016-17                  |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------|-------------|-----------|-------------|-----------|--------------------------|
| Name of Mission/ Scheme                                                                                                                           | BE        | Expenditure | BE        | Expenditure | BE        | Release as on 28.11.2016 |
| Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)                                                                                                              | 9954.00   | 8443.20     | 4500.00   | 3940.01     | 5400.00   | 2471.82                  |
| Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture                                                                                                | 2263.00   | 1956.50     | 2000.00   | 1696.80     | 1620.00   | 916.96                   |
| Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana                                                                                                             | 0.00      | 0.00        | 1800.00   | 1555.94     | 2340.00   | 1338.99                  |
| Ntional Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (including Pradhan Mantri Krishi Vikas Yojana, Soil Health Card, Rainfed Area Development and Others) | 1684.00   | 1391.77     | 835.00    | 701.38      | 1062.00   | 423.93                   |
| National Agriculture Market*                                                                                                                      |           |             |           |             | 50.00     | 29.50                    |

BE: Budget Estimate

* New Scheme started from 2016-17

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