Lok Sabha Question No. 2678 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-09
Subject: Implementation of Swaminathan Committee Report
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Raghu Ramakrishna Raju Kanumuru

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2678

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  9 TH  JULY, 2019

## IMPLEMENTATION OF SWAMINATHAN COMMITTEE REPORT

2678.  SHRI KANUMURU RAGHU RAMA KRISHANA RAJU:

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

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  Government  is  not  purchasing  the  foodgrains  from  the farmers which is posing a serious problem to the farmers in selling their output, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has any proposal for implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee in the agriculture sector, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the necessary steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a): No Sir. As per the existing arrangements, procurement is made of the crops for which Minimum Support Price (MSP) is announced through Central and State agencies. In so far as cereals/nutri  cereals  are  concerned,  they  are  procured  through  Food  Corporation  of  India (FCI)  and  decentralized  procurement  system  mainly  for  distribution  under  the  public distribution  system  (PDS),  for  welfare  schemes  and  buffer  stocking  for  food  security.  The objective of foodgrains procurement by Government agencies is to ensure that farmers get remunerative prices for their produce and do not have to resort to distress sale.

Further,  in  order  to  ensure  remunerative  prices  to  farmers  for  their  produce,  the Government  has  launched  a  new  Umbrella  Scheme  'Pradhan  Mantri  Annadata  Aay SanraksHan  Abhiyan'  (PM-AASHA),  comprising  Price  Support  Scheme  (PSS),  Price Deficiency  Payment  Scheme  (PDPS),  and  pilot  of  Private  Procurement  and  Stockist Scheme (PPSS). PSS is implemented for pulses, oilseeds and copra. For oilseeds, states have options to choose either PSS or PDPS in a given procurement season with respect to a particular oilseed crop for the entire state.

PSS is implemented at the request of the concerned State Government which agrees to exempt the procured commodities of pulses, oilseeds and copra from levy of mandi tax and assist central nodal agencies, in logistic arrangements, including gunny bags, working capital  for  state  agencies,  creation  of  revolving  fund  for  PSS  operations,  etc.  as  required under  the  scheme  guidelines.  Procurement  of  these  commodities  are  undertaken  directly from  pre-registered  farmers  within  the  stipulated  period  and  conforming  to  the  prescribed Fair  Average  Quality  (FAQ)  norms  by  Central  Nodal  Agencies  through  the  State  level agencies at MSP announced by the Government as and when prices fall below MSP.

Under PSS, during 2018-19 (as on 24 June 2019), 18.09 lakh tonnes of oilseeds and 19.31 lakh tonnes of pulses have been procured.

For Kharif  Marketing Season 2018-19 (as on 19 June 2019), 432.3 lakh tonnes of rice and for Rabi Marketing Season 2019-20 (as on 19 June 2019) 340.6 lakh tonnes of wheat have been procured.

(b) & (c): The  National  Commission  on  Farmers  (NCF)  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Dr. M.S.  Swaminathan,  submitted  its  final  report  in  2006.  The  commission  also  prepared  the 'Draft  National  Policy  for  Farmers'.  The  government  approved  the  'National  Policy  for Farmers in 2007' (NPF-2007). The policy aims to improve economic viability of farming and increase net income of farmers.

The Policy provisions in NPF-2007 include: (i) asset reforms in respect of land, water, livestock,  fisheries  and  bioresources;  (ii)  Supply  of  good  quality  seeds  and  disease-free planting  material,  (iii)  Issue  of  soil  health  passbooks  to  the  farmers  and  integrated  pest management system; (iv) Region and crop specific implements and machinery; (v) Support services for women; (vi) Timely, adequate and easy reach of institutional credit at reasonable interest rates and farmer-friendly insurance instruments; (vii) Support services and inputs like application of frontier technologies;  (viii) Agricultural bio-security system;  (ix)  Use  of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and setting up of farm schools to revitalize agricultural  extension;  (x)  Coverage  of  farmers  under  a  comprehensive  national  social security scheme; (xi) Effective implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) across the country  and  establishing  community  food  grain  banks;  (xii)  Development  of  agricultural market  infrastructure  and  terminal  markets  for  agriculture;  (xiii)  Curriculum  reforms  in agricultural universities; (xiv) Special categories of farming like organic farming and contract farming; (xv) Rural non-farm employment initiative for farm households; and (xvi) Integrated approach for rural energy, etc.

An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), which was constituted for preparation of Plan of Action, identified 201 Action Points from NPF-2007, where necessary action had to be taken. Of the 201 number of action points identified, 200 numbers have already been implemented as of date.

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