Lok Sabha Question No. 1373 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-18
Subject: Doubling of Income of Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: DUSHYANT CHAUTALA, NEELAM SONKER, KONAKALLA NARAYANA RAO

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1373

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  18 TH  DECEMBER, 2018

## DOUBLING OF INCOME OF FARMERS

1373.     SHRI DUSHYANT CHAUTALA: SHRIMATI NEELAM SONKER: SHRI KONAKALLA NARAYANA RAO:

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

- (a) whether inter-ministerial committee constituted by the Government has submitted the recommendations on doubling farmers' income by 2022; and
- (b) the details of action plan prepared by the Government to double the income of farmers and the  kind  of  actions  initiated  by  the  Government  on  the  recommendations  of  the  interministerial experts committee constituted for the purpose?

## 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 set a target of doubling of farmers' income by the year 2022. The Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship  of  Chief  Executive  Officer,  National  Rainfed  Area  Authority,  Department  of Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers  Welfare  to  examine  issues  relating  to  doubling  of farmers, income and recommend a strategy to achieve doubling of farmers, income in real terms by the year 2022.

The  committee  has  identified  sever  sources  of  income  growth  viz,  improvement  in crop and livestock productivity; resource use efficiency or savings in the cost of production; increase in the cropping intensity; diversification towards high value crops; improvement in real prices received by farmers; and shift from farm to non-farm occupations. The committee is also looking into the investments in and for agriculture e.g. increasing public investments for  agriculture-rural  roads,  rural  electricity,  irrigation;  the  need  for  policy  support  to  enable investments by corporate sector in agriculture.

The  Government  has  been  reorienting  the  agriculture  sector  by  focusing  on  and 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  taken  among  each  of  the  above  mention strategies which inter-alia include:

- (i) Initiating  market  reforms  through  the  State  Governments  by  amending  the agriculture marketing regime.
- (ii) Encouraging contract farming through the State Governments by promulgatisng of Model Contract Farming Act.
- (iii) 22,000 Gramin Haats are to be upgraded to work as certers of aggregation and for direct purchase of agricultural commodities from the farmers.
- (iv) Launch of eNAM initiative to provide farmers an electronic online trading platform.
- (v) Implementation of flagship scheme of distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers so that the use of fertilizers can be optimized.
- (vi) 'Per  drop  more  crop'  initiative  under  which  drip/sprinkler  irrigation  is  being encouraged for optimal ulilization of water.
- (vii) 'Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)' under which organic farming is being promoted. North East is being developed as organic hub.
- (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 Yonjana (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, 1947 Bamboo grown outside forest area has been removed from the definition of trees and a mission have been launched to promote bamboo plantation.
- (x) Giving a major boost to the pro-farmer initiatives of the Government and in keeping with  its  commitment  and  dedication  for  the  annadata,  the  Government  has approved a new Umbrella Scheme ':Pradhan  Mantri  Annadata  Aay  Sanrakshan Abhiyan '(PM-AASHA)'. 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.
- (xi) Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  is  notified  by  the  Government  for  certain  crops. Giving a major boost for the farmers income, the Government has approved the increase in the MSPs for all Kharif & Rabi crops for 2018-19 season at a level of at least 150 percent of the cost of production
- (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 has been implemented to enhance milk production and productivity  of  bovines  and  to  make  milk  production  more  remunerative  to  the farmers.
- (xiv) National  Livestock  Mission  has  been  implemented  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.

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