Lok Sabha Question No. 290 (STARRED), answered on 2019-01-01
Subject: Migration of Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: BHARAT SINGH, Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh

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

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 290

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 1 ST  JANUARY, 2019

## MIGRATION OF FARMERS

- *290.     SHRI BHARAT SINGH: SHRIMATI PRATYUSHA RAJESHWARI SINGH:

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

- (a) whether the Government has received any information on farmers leaving the job of farming in search of other employments due to losses being incurred by them; and
- (b) if so, the steps taken by the Government to make farming a profitable venture so as to address the said problem and check migration of farmers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी

- (a) & (b):

(SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 290  DUE FOR REPLY ON 1 ST  JANUARY, 2019.

- (a): The  shift  in  workforce  from  primary  (agriculture)  sector  to  secondary  and  tertiary sectors  is  a  normal  phenomenon  of  the  development  process  experienced  by  countries across the world and the same is true for India as well. As per the Census data, numbers of cultivators have declined from 127.3 million in 2001 to 118.8 million in 2011. The share of workforce  engaged  in  the  agriculture  sector  (comprising  of  cultivators  and  agricultural labourers)  has  come  down  from  58.2  per  cent  in  2001  to  54.6  per  cent  in  2011.  The reasons  for  this  shift  include, inter-alia ,  better  employment  opportunities  in  industry  and services  sectors,  increasing  urbanization  etc.  However,  the  foodgrain  production  in  the country has continued its upward trend and reached a record level of 284.83 million tonnes in 2017-18 (4 th Advance Estimate).
- (b): In a market economy  like India, movement  of  people for better  economic opportunities  is  inexorable.  However,  several  steps  have  been  taken  by  the  Union Government  to  improve  the  economic  conditions  of  farmers  and  making  agriculture attractive  to  farmers.  These  include, inter-alia ,  implementation  of  schemes  like,  National Food Security Mission, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Mission for Integrated Development of  Horticulture,  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchai  Yojana,  Soil  Health  Card,  Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Neem Coated Urea, creation of a unified  national  agriculture  market  (e-NAM),  etc.  Further,  Government  has  increased  the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all notified agricultural crops the season 2018-19 with a return of atleast 50 percent over all-India weighted average cost of production.  The Union Cabinet  has  initiated  an  Umbrella  Scheme  'Pradhan  Mantri  Annadata  Aay  Sanrakshan Abhiyan'  (PM-AASHA)  in  September,  2018,  which  envisages  a  holistic  arrangement  for assurance of remunerative price environment for farmers to increase agriculture production and productivity.

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