Lok Sabha Question No. 1008 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-24
Subject: Impediment in Agriculture Growth
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: C. MAHENDRAN

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1008

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24 TH  JULY, 2018

## IMPEDIMENT IN AGRICULTURE GROWTH

1008.     SHRI C. MAHENDRAN:

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

- (a) whether  the  institutional  barrier  comprising  governance,  the  quality  of  public  systems, and economic policies has become the most serious impediment to agriculture growth in the Country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Import  liberalization  has  had  a  strong  dampening  effect  on  the  prices  of several crops and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the agricultural distress across the Country is causing a widespread systemic crisis and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the suicides among farming community are on the rise year by year and 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  GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a):      Agricultural production and productivity in the country has been generally increasing with the exception of the years affected by drought, floods, other natural calamities, etc. As only 48% of  the  net  sown area is under irrigation,  growth  in  agriculture  is affected  by rainfall and other agro-climatic conditions. Government has been implementing various schemes namely National Food  Security  Mission,  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana,  National  Mission  on  Oilseeds  and  Oil Palm,  Sub-Mission  on  Agriculture  Extension,  National  Mission  for  Sustainable  Agriculture, Integrated  Scheme  on  Agriculture  Marketing,  Sub-  Mission  on  Agriculture  Mechanisation, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana etc. for welfare of the farmers, to mitigate the risks associated and to increase growth of agriculture sector in the country.

As a result of the initiatives taken by the Government, production of foodgrains (including both  cereals  and  pulses)  has  increased  significantly  from  252.02  million  tons  in  2014-15  to 279.51 million tonnes during 2017-18 in the country as per the third Advance Estimates.

- (b) & (c):    Domestic prices of crops are influenced by several factors, mainly domestic demand and supply situation, weather conditions,  global availability and price trends etc. The prices of most crops are largely domestically determined and there is a mechanism to calibrate policies to safeguard and protect the interests of the farmers through modulation  of tariffs. India has one of the highest agriculture import tariffs to protect the farmers/ cultivations/domestic industry against any cheap and abnormal import.

To  ensure  that  farmers  get  better  remuneration  for  their  produce,  Government  has announced its historic decision to fix Minimum Support Price (MSP) at a level of at least 150 percent of the cost of production for kharif crops 2018-19. Government has also taken several steps  which  includes  setting  up  of  procurement  centers  keeping  in  view  the  potential  in  the areas; creating awareness among the farmers of the MSP  operations; encouraging decentralized procurement; adopting e-procurement system; engaging private players in certain States  to  participate  in  procurement  operations,  implementing  e-National  Agriculture  Market, promoting Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) etc.

Further,  Government  implements  Price  Support  Scheme  (PSS)  for  procurement  of  oil seeds, pulses and cotton through Central Nodal Agencies at MSPs. In 2017-18, procurement in pulses and oilseeds have been significantly stepped up on the basis of States' proposals in this regard.  Market  Intervention  Scheme  (MIS)  for  procurement  of  agricultural  and  horticultural commodities  which  are  perishable  in  nature  and  are  not  covered  under  the  PSS  are  also undertaken. The objective of intervention is to protect the growers of these commodities from making distress  sale  in  the  event  of  a  bumper  crop  during  the  peak  arrival  period  when  the prices tend to fall below economic levels and cost of production.

Apart  from  this,  to  achieve  the  target  of  doubling  the  income  of  farmers  by  2022, Government  has  constituted  an  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  to  examine  issues  relating  to doubling of farmers' income and recommend a strategy to achieve the same.

(d):  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. As per the ADSI Reports for the years 2014, 2015 and unpublished provisional data as provided by NCRB for the year 2016, the total number of suicides by farmers and agricultural labourers in the country are 12360, 12602 and 11370 respectively.

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