Lok Sabha Question No. 405 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-19
Subject: Promotion of Early Maturing Crops
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Maneka Sanjay Gandhi

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.405

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  19 TH  NOVEMBER, 2019

## PROMOTION OF EARLY MATURING CROPS

405.   SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps towards promoting the farming of early maturing crops and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  towards  ensuring  judicious  use  of scarce water resource by farmers and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether water intensive crops like sugarcane and paddy are produced in the waterscarce regions of Marathwada and the Punjab-Haryana belt respectively, if so, whether the Government has taken any steps towards addressing this mismatch between the cropping pattern and the scarce water availability of such regions; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी ( SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a):           Yes Sir. The Government is implementing various crop development programmes through State Governments/ Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes/ State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/ Krishi  Vigyan Kendras  (KVKs)  in  which latest crop production  technologies  including  promotion  of  latest  varieties/  High  Yielding  Varieties (HYVs)/  Hybrids,  climate  resilient/stress  tolerant  varieties  and  early  maturing  varieties  are being  promoted  under  National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM)  programme  and  Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI).

(b)  to  (d): The Government is implementing Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) - Per Drop More Crop, which is operational from 2015-16. The PMKSY- Per Drop More  Crop  mainly  focuses  on  enhancing  water  use  efficiency  at  farm  level  through precision/micro irrigation (Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation). Besides promoting precision irrigation and  better  on-farm  water  management  practices  to  optimize  the  use  of  available  water resources, this component also supports micro level water storage or water conservation/management  activities  to  supplement  Micro  Irrigation  in  all  the  States  and Union Territories (UTs).

In addition, under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) programme, assistance is being  given  for  water  saving  devices  which  includes  sprinklers,  mobile  raingun,  water carrying  pipes,  pumpsets.  Further,  capacity  building  of  farmers  is  also  done  under  the programme to promote latest crop production and protection technologies.

Crop  Diversification  Programme  (CDP),  a  sub-scheme  of  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas Yojana (RKVY) is being implemented in original green revolution states viz ., Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh since 2013-14 to divert the area of paddy crop to alternate crops like pulses, oilseeds, coarse/nutri cereals, cotton & agro forestry.

Under  the  scheme,  assistance  is  being  provided  for  four  major  components viz ., alternate crop demonstrations, farm mechanization & value addition, site-specific activities & contingency  for  awareness,  training  for  judicious  use  of  scarce  water,  implementation, monitoring etc.

Under  the  National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM)  scheme  NFSM-Wheat,  NFSMPulses, NFSM-Coarse Cereals and NFSM-Nutri Cereal components are being implemented in the districts coming under Marathwada regions in which assistance is being given to the farmers for latest crop production and protection technologies, promotion of newly released varieties/hybrids,  INM  &  IPM  techniques,  improved  farm  implements/tools,  improved  water saving  devices  (sprinklers,  mobile  raingun,  water  carrying  pipes,  pumpsets)  and  capacity building of farmers.

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