Lok Sabha Question No. 333 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-19
Subject: Steps to Promote Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Nishikant  Dubey

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.333

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19 TH  NOVEMBER, 2019

## STEPS TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURE

333.   DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY:

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

- (a) The steps taken by the Government to promote agriculture in the country during each of the last three years;
- (b) whether the Government has taken up training programmes for farmers with respect to scientific methods of agriculture; and
- (c) If so, the details thereof, State wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a): Government of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments through various schemes/  programmes.  The  various  schemes/  programmes  of  the  Government  of  India  are meant for the welfare of farmers by increasing production and remunerative returns to farmers. A list of various interventions taken by the Government is at Annexure .  All these steps of the Government of India are for the welfare of the farmers of the country.

The Government had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in 2016 to recommend a strategy for Doubling of Farmers' Income (DFI) by the year 2022. The DFI Committee submitted its  report  and  thereafter  the  Government  constituted  an  Empowered  Body  on  23.01.2019  for monitoring the implementation of the recommendation of the DFI Strategy.

- (b) & (c): The Government has undertaken various training programmes to educate farmers about the latest scientific method & technology. Some of the interventions in this direction are:
- (i) Creation  of  a   network  of  681  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  by  Indian  Council  of Agricultural Research (ICAR)  to facilitate farmer's access to knowledge and information generated by Agricultural Universities and ICAR Institutes of the country.
- (ii) Initiatives  under  Agriculture  Technology  Management  Agency  (ATMA)  Scheme  like Extension Reforms, Mass Media Support to Agricultural Extension, Kisan Call Centres, Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres, Exhibitions/ Fairs etc.
- (iii) Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)
- (iv) Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi
- (v) National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) scheme
- (vi) Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme
- (vii)  Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)

## Statement in respect of Part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 333 due for 19.11.2019 regarding 'Steps to Promote Agriculture'

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

- (i)        Implementation of flagship scheme of distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers so that the use of fertilizers can be rationalized.
- (ii)       '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.
- (iii)       'Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)' for promoting organic farming.
- (iv)        Launch of e-NAM  initiative to provide farmers an electronic transparent and competitive online trading platform.
- (v)       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.
- (vi)        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.
- (vii) 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.
- (viii) 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.
- (ix)        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.
- (x)       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.

- (xi)       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.
- (xii) 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.
- (xiii) 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.
- (xiv) 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.
- (xv) 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 3 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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