Lok Sabha Question No. 8 (STARRED), answered on 2018-12-11
Subject: Suicide by Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: DHARAM VIRA GANDHI, ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT

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

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 8

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11 TH  DECEMBER, 2018

## SUICIDE BY FARMERS

- *8.    SHRI DHARAMBIR: SHRI ARVIND SAWANT:

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

- (a) whether according to a report, 33 farmers are committing suicides daily and if so, the reasons for committing suicide by them;
- (b) whether  profiteering  by  companies  dealing  in  fertilizers,  pumps,  tractors,  seeds,  cold storages etc. is one of the major factors behind their suicides;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  reviewed  the  present  situation  of  the  farmers  in  the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the  details  of  the  schemes  being  run  and  the  welfare  measures  taken  for  providing assistance  to  the  people  living  below  poverty  line  and  indebted  farmers  as  well  as  for increasing their income to dissuade them from committing suicides and the remedial measures taken to improve the plight of farmers during the last three years; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to restructure and improve such schemes to make them  more  useful  and  inclusive,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  details  of  the implementation of these schemes, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी

(SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 8   DUE FOR REPLY ON 11 TH  DECEMBER, 2018.

(a) & (b): The  National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB)  under  the  Ministry  of  Home Affairs compiles and  disseminates  information on suicides, in its publication titled 'Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India' (ADSI). These Reports on suicides are available upto 2015 on its website. The Reports for the year 2016 onwards have not been published yet. As per the ADSI Reports for the year 2015 and provisional data as provided by NCRB for the year 2016, the total number of suicides by farmers and agricultural labourers in the country, during 2016 were  11370 while in 2015, it was 12602.

As per Report of 2015, 'Bankruptcy or Indebtedness' and 'Farming Related Issues' are  reported  as  major  causes  of  suicides  among  farmers/  cultivators.  Other  prominent causes of farmers/ cultivators suicides are family problems, illness, etc.

(c) to (e): The Government has set a target of doubling of farmers' income by the year 2022. The Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Executive Officer, National Rainfed Area Authority, Department of Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers  Welfare  to  examine  issues  relating  to  doubling  of farmers' income and recommend a strategy to achieve doubling of farmers' income in real terms by the year 2022.

The committee has identified seven sources of income growth viz, improvement in crop and livestock productivity; resource use efficiency or savings in the cost of production; increase in the cropping intensity; diversification towards high value crops; improvement in real  prices  received  by  farmers;  and  shift  from  farm  to  non-farm  occupations.  The committee is also looking into the investments in and for agriculture e.g. increasing public investments  for  agriculture-rural  roads,  rural  electricity,  irrigation;  the  need  for  policy support to enable investments by corporate sector in agriculture.

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The  Government  has  been  reorienting  the  agriculture  sector  by  focusing  on  an income-centeredness which goes beyond achieving merely the targeted production. The income approach focuses on achieving high productivity, reduced cost of cultivation and remunerative price on the produce, with a view to earn higher profits from farming.

Several  initiatives  have  already  been  taken  among  each  of  the  above  mention strategies which inter-alia include:

(i) Initiating market reforms through the State Governments  by amending the agriculture marketing regime.

(ii) Encouraging  contract  farming  through  the  State  Governments  by  promulgating  of Model Contract Farming Act.

(iii) 22,000 Gramin Haats are to be upgraded to work as centers of aggregation and for direct purchase of agricultural commodities from the farmers.

(iv) Launch of eNAM initiative to provide farmers an electronic online trading platform.

(v) Implementation of flagship scheme of distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers so that the use of fertilizers can be optimized. In the 1 st cycle 1073.89 lakh Soil Health Cards were distributed & in the on-going 2 nd cycle 673.96 lakh of Soil Health Cards have been distributed.

(vi) 'Per drop more  crop' initiative under  which drip/sprinkler irrigation is being encouraged for optimal utilization of water.

(vii) 'Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)' under which organic farming is being promoted.  North East is being developed as organic hub.

(viii) With  a  view  to  provide  better  insurance  coverage  to  crops  for  risk  mitigation, Government has   launched a   crop insurance scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima

Contd..3/-

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Yojana (PMFBY) from Kharif 2016 season. This scheme provides insurance cover for all stages of the crop cycle including post-harvest risks in specified instances.  2,69,69,404 farmers  benefited  by  way  of  payment  of  claims  Rs.10,482.86  crore  during  Kharif  2016, 36,52,284 farmers benefited by way of payment of claims Rs.5,796.39 crore during Rabi 2016-17 and 1,39,83,661  farmers  benefited  by  way  of  payment  of  claims  Rs.16,967.92 crore during Kharif 2017 under PMFBY.

(ix) Under 'Har Medh Par Ped', agro forestry is being promoted.  With the amendment of Indian Forest Act, 1947 Bamboo grown outside forest area has been removed from the definition of trees and a mission have been launched to promote bamboo plantation.

(x) Giving a major boost to the pro-farmer initiatives of the Government and in keeping with its commitment and dedication for the Annadata, the Government has approved a new Umbrella Scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan' (PM-AASHA).  The Scheme  is  aimed at  ensuring  remunerative  prices  to  the  farmers  for  their  produce  as announced in the Union Budget for 2018. This is an unprecedented step taken by Govt. of India to protect the farmers' income which is expected to go a long way towards the welfare of farmers.

(xi) Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  is  notified  by  the  Government  for  certain  crops. Giving a major boost for the farmers income, the Government has approved the increase in the MSPs for all Kharif & Rabi crops for 2018-19 season at a level of at least 150 percent of the cost of production.

(xii) During the period from 2014-15 to 2018-19, a quantity of 93.97 lakh MT of pulses and oilseeds valuing Rs. 44,142.50 crore were procured at MSP by various agencies of Government of India.

(xiii) Bee  keeping  has  been  promoted  under  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of Horticulture (MIDH) to increase the productivity of crops through pollination and increase the honey production as an additional source of income of farmers.

(xiv) Rashtriya  Gokul  Mission  has  been  implemented  to  enhance  milk  production  and productivity of bovines and to make milk production more remunerative to the farmers.

(xv) National  Livestock  Mission  has  been  implemented  to  increase  productivity  and genetic improvement of livestock.

(xvi) Foreseeing high potential in fisheries sector, a Blue Revolution with multi dimensional activities  mainly  focusing  on  fisheries  production,  both  inland  and  marine  is being implemented.

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