Lok Sabha Question No. 351 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-05
Subject: Promotion of Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: RAHUL KASWAN

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.351 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 TH   FEBRUARY, 2019

## PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURE

## 351. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

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  step  to  promote  agriculture  in  the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has given training  to  farmers  on  scientific  way  of agriculture and  if  so,  the  details  thereof; and
- (d) whether    the    farmers    were    given  information  about  such  training,  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  PARSHOTTAM  RUPALA)

- (a) & (b): 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  implemented  among  each  of  the  above  mention strategies which inter-alia include:

- (i) In order to provide an alternative to farmers for marketing avenues, support creation of infrastructure, e-marketing platform at national level, ensure better price discovery, bringing in transparency and competition to enable farmers to get improved remuneration for their produce moving  towards  'One  Nation  One  Market',  National  Agriculture  Market  scheme  (e-NAM) launched on 14.04.2016.
- (ii) Development  and  up-gradation  of  existing  22,000  rural  haats  into  Gramin  Agricultural Markets  (GrAMs),  electronically  linked  to  e-NAM  portal  and  exempted  from  regulations  of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs),
- (iii) Model Agricultural Produce & Livestock Marketing (Promotion & Facilitation) Act, 2017, and the Model Agricultural Produce & Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion & Facilitation)  Act,  2018,  in  May,  2018,  for  adoption  by  State/UTs,  and  to  promote  alternative competitive marketing channels for better pricing for farmers, encourage private investment in developing efficient marketing infrastructure and value chain.

- (iv) The Government has increased the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) of all kharif & rabi crops  for  2018-19  Season which  is  a  historic  one  as  it  redeems  the  promise  of  the  predetermined  principle  of  fixing  the  MSPs  at  a  level  of  at  least  150  percent  of  the  cost  of production announced by the Union Budget for 2018-19.
- (v) Government has approved a new Umbrella Scheme Pradan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018. The increase in MSP will be translated to farmer's  income  by  way  of  robust  procurement  mechanism  in  coordination  with  the  State Governments.
- (vi) Government  has  introduced  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana  (PMFBY)  from  Kharif 2016 to address the risks associated with agriculture.  PMFBY addresses all the shortcomings in the earlier schemes and is available to the farmers at very low rates of premium. This scheme provides insurance cover at all stages of the crop cycle including post-harvest risks in specified instances.
- (vii) Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme to ensure judicious use of fertilizer application and thus save input cost of farmers.
- (viii) Neem Coated Urea (NCU) is being promoted to regulate use of urea, enhance availability of nitrogen to the crop and reduce cost of fertilizer application.
- (ix) The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched on 1st July, 2015 with  the  motto  of  'Har  Khet  Ko  Paani'  for providing  end-to  end  solutions  in  irrigation  supply chain, viz. water sources, distribution network and farm level applications.
- (x) Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) to promote organic farming in the country as cluster approach.
- (xi) 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.
- (c) & (d): During the last five years, over 62.88 lakh farmers have been benefitted through 'Farmers  Training'  in  different  thematic  areas.  In  the  planning  and  implementation  of  these Training  Programs,  the  Farmers  Advisory  Committees  (FACs)  at  the  Block  and  District  level along with the Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs), Commodity Interest Groups (CIGs) and Women Food Security Groups (WFSGs) are closely involved and information is disseminated through them.

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