Lok Sabha Question No. 1438 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-11
Subject: Facilities for Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Pritam Gopinath Munde

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1438

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2020

## FACILITIES FOR FARMERS

1438.  SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU: DR. PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE:

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

- (a) whether  due  to  defective  implementation  of  some  policies,  small-scale  farmers  lack facilities useful in agri-production;
- (b) if so, the facts in this regard;
- (c) the reaction of the Union Government thereto;
- (d) whether  the  Union  Government  has  assessed  various  agriculture  related  policies implemented for the benefit of small-scale farmers in the country;
- (e) if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the corrective steps taken by the Union Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

(a) to (f): Government of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments through various schemes/ programmes. These schemes/ programmes of the Government of India are meant for the welfare of farmers by increasing production, remunerative returns and income support to  farmers.  A  list  of  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  are  at Annexure .  All  these steps of the Government of India are for the welfare of the farmers of the country.

The  Government  constituted  an  Inter-ministerial  Committee  in  April,  2016  to  examine issues  relating  to  'Doubling  of  Farmers  Income'  and  recommend  strategies  to  achieve  the same.  The  Committee  submitted  its  Report  to  the  Government  in  September,  2018  and thereafter, an Empowered Body was set up on 23.01.2019 to monitor and review the progress as per these recommendations. To achieve this, the Committee has identified seven sources of income  growth  viz.,  improvement  in  crop  productivity;  improvement  in  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.

## List of various interventions and schemes launched for the benefit of farmers.

- (i)       With a view to provide income support to all farmers' families across the country, to enable them to take care  of  expenses related  to  agriculture  and  allied  activities  as well  as  domestic  needs,  the  Central  Government  started  a  new  Central  Sector Scheme, namely, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN). The scheme aims to provide a payment of Rs. 6000/- per year, in three 4-monthly installments of Rs.  2000/-  to  the  farmers  families,  subject  to  certain  exclusions  relating  to  higher income groups.
- (ii)       Further  with  a  view  to  provide  social  security  net  for  Small  and  Marginal  Farmers (SMF) as they have minimal or no savings to provide for old age and to support them in  the  event  of  consequent  loss  of  livelihood,  the  Government  has  decided  to implement  another  new  Central  Sector  Scheme  i.e.  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  MaanDhan Yojana (PM-KMY) for  providing old age pension to these farmers. Under this Scheme, a minimum fixed pension of Rs. 3000/- will be provided to the eligible small and marginal farmers, subject to certain exclusion clauses, on attaining the age of 60 years.
- (iii)       With  a view to provide better insurance coverage to crops for risk mitigation, a crop insurance scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was launched  from  Kharif  2016  season.  This  scheme  provides  insurance  cover  for  all stages of the crop cycle including post-harvest risks in specified instances, with low premium contribution by farmers.
- (iv)       Giving  a  major  boost  for  the  farmer's  income,  the  Government  has  approved  the increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi crops for 2018-19 season at a level of at least 150 percent of the cost of production.
- (v)      Implementation of flagship scheme of distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers so that the use of fertilizers can be rationalized.
- (vi)      'Per drop more crop' initiative under which drip/sprinkler irrigation is being encouraged for optimal utilization of water, reducing cost of inputs and increasing productivity.
- (vii) 'Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)' for promoting organic farming.
- (viii) Launch  of  e-NAM  initiative to provide farmers an electronic transparent  and competitive online trading platform.
- (ix)       Under 'Har Medh  Par Ped', agro forestry is being promoted for additional income.  With the amendment of Indian Forest Act, 1927, Bamboo has been removed from  the  definition  of  trees.  A  restructured  National  Bamboo  Mission  has  been launched in the year 2018 to promote bamboo plantation on non forest government as  well  as  private  land  and  emphasis  on  value  addition,  product  development  and markets.
- (x)      Giving  a  major  boost  to  the  pro-farmer  initiatives,  the  Government  has  approved  a new  Umbrella  Scheme  'Pradhan  Mantri Annadata  Aay  Sanrakshan  Abhiyan  (PMAASHA)'.  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)       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.
- (xii) To  ensure  flow  of  adequate  credit,  Government  sets  annual  target  for  the  flow  of credit to the agriculture sector, Banks have been consistently surpassing the annual target. The agriculture credit flow target has been set at Rs. 13.50 lakh crore for the F.Y.2019-20 and Rs.15.00 lakh crore for F.Y. 2020-21.
- (xiii) Extending the reach of institutional credit to more and more farmers is priority area of the Government  and  to  achieve  this goal, the Government  provides  interest subvention  of  2%  on  short-term  crop  loans  up  to  Rs.3.00  lakh.  Presently,  loan  is available to farmers at an interest rate of 4% per annum on prompt repayment.
- (xiv) Further, under Interest Subvention Scheme 2018-19, in order to provide relief to the farmers  on  occurrence  of  natural  calamities,  the  interest  subvention  of  2%  shall continue  to  be  available  to  banks  for  the  first  year  on  the  restructured  amount.  In order  to  discourage  distress  sale  by  farmers  and  to  encourage  them  to  store  their produce in warehouses against negotiable receipts, the benefit of interest subvention will be available to small and marginal farmers having Kisan Credit Card for a further period of upto six months post harvest on the same rate as available to crop loan.
- (xv) The Government has extended the facility of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to the farmers practicing  animal  husbandry  and  fisheries  related  activities.    All  processing  fee, inspection, ledger folio charges and all other services charges have been waived off for fresh renewal of KCC. Collateral fee loan limit for short term agri-credit has been raised from Rs.1.00 lakh to Rs.1.60 lakh.  KCC will be issued within 14 days from the receipt of completed application.

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