Lok Sabha Question No. 1787 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-02
Subject: Farmers Suicide
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dean Kuriakose

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1787

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  2 ND  JULY, 2019

## FARMERS SUICIDE

1787.  ADV. DEAN KURIAKOSE:

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

- (a) the  number  of  farmers  suicides  reported  during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current year, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has received proposals from various States including Kerala to  address  the  issue  of  farmers  distress  and  waived-off  crop  loans  from  various  banks including co-operative banks, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government is considering a special package for severly affected districts in the country including Idukki district of Kerala, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a): 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.
- (b) & (c): The Government has received request from the various quarters to address the issue  of  farmer  distress  on  various  accounts.  To  address  the  issue  of  agrarian  distress, Government of India have taken several steps for the welfare of the farmers. A list of various interventions taken by the Government is annexed.

There is no proposal on waiver off crop loans under consideration of the Government of India.

The Government of India has implemented a package for mitigating agrarian distress in  Idukki  district  of  Kerala  with  financial  assistance  of  Rs.764.45  crore  for  implementing various programmes/interventions suggested by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. The implementation period of the package has ended in November, 2013.  State Government  of  Kerala  had  requested  for  extension  of  period  of  package  upto  November, 2016, to which. the State Government  was advised to implement the approved activities of Idukki package under various on-going schemes/ programmes of Government like Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Food Security Mission (NFSM),  Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) etc.

Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1787 due for 02.07.2019. Statement in respect of Part (b)&(c) of the Question  regarding 'FARMERS SUICIDE'

The  strategy  of  the  Government  is  to  focus  on  farmers'  welfare  by  making  farming viable. Most of the schemes of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare focus on directly benefitting farmers through various interventions and schemes such as:-

- (i)      Implementation  of  flagship  scheme  of  distribution  of  Soil  Health  Cards  to  farmers  so that the use of fertilizers can be optimized.
- (ii) 'Per drop more crop' initiative under which drip/sprinkler irrigation is being encouraged for optimal utilization of water.
- (iii) 'ParamparagatKrishiVikas  Yojana  (PKVY)'  under  which  organic  farming  is  being promoted
- (iv)      Initiating market reforms through the State Governments.
- (v)      Encouraging  contract  farming  through  the  State  Governments  by  promulgating  of Model Contract Farming Act.
- (vi) Up-gradation  of  Gramin  Haats  to  work  as  centers  of  aggregation  and  for  direct purchase of agricultural commodities from the farmers.
- (vii)     Launch of e-NAM initiative to provide farmers an electronic online trading platform.
- (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  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.
- (ix)     Under 'Har Medh Par Ped', agro forestry is being promoted.  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 with emphasis on value addition and product development.
- (x) Giving  a  major  boost  for  the  farmers  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.
- (xi) 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.
- (xii) 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.
- (xiii) Rashtriya Gokul Mission to enhance milk production and productivity of bovines and to make milk production more remunerative to the farmers.
- (xiv) National  Livestock  Mission  to  increase  productivity  and  genetic  improvement  of livestock.
- (xv)     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.
- (xvi)    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  3%  on  short-term  crop  loans  up  to  Rs.3.00  lakh.  Presently,  loan  is  available  to farmers at  an  interest  rate  of  7%  per  annum,  which  gets  reduced  to  4%  on  prompt repayment.
- (xvii) 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 monthspost harvest on the same rate as available to crop loan.
- (xviii)  The Government has approved for giving the facility of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to the farmers  practicing  animal  husbandry  and  fisheries  related      activities  and  has  also decided to extend the Interest Subvention Facilities to such categories of farmers.
- (xix) Government sets annual target for the flow of credit to the agriculture sector, Banks have  been  consistently  surpassing  the  annual  target.  The  current  year's  agriculture credit flow target has been set at Rs. 13.50 lakh crore.
- (xx) 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. About 14.5 crore farmers are expected to be covered under the Scheme.
- (xxi)  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 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. The scheme aims to cover around 5 crore beneficiaries in the first three years. It would be a voluntary and contributory pension scheme, with entry age of 18 to 40 years. The Government has approved a budgetary provision of Rs. 10774.50 crore for the scheme till March, 2022.

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