Lok Sabha Question No. 1072 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-24
Subject: Committee on Farmers Income
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: V. SATHYABAMA, PR. SENTHILNATHAN, POONAMBEN HEMATBHAI MAADAM, R.K. BHARATHI MOHAN

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1072

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  24 TH  JULY, 2018

## COMMITTEE ON FARMERS INCOME

1072.  SHRIMATI V. SATHYA BAMA: SHRI PR. SENTHIL NATHAN: SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM: SHRI BHARATHI MOHAN R.K.:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE      ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Committee appointed by the Government to prepare the report on doubling farmers' income has submitted its report and if so, the salient features of the recommendations of the Committee;
- (b) whether the Committee has also recommend for any institutional mechanism to review  and  monitor  implementation  of  various  schemes  to  realise  the  goal  and  to examine progress of the said target and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  expenditure  likely  to  be  incurred  to  achieve  the  target  of  doubling  farmers' income by 2022;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  taken  serious  note  on  the  distress  of  Paddy farmers in Tamil Nadu due to low support price and huge difference between MSP and the cost of inputs; and
- (e) if so, the extent by which MSP for paddy is likely to be increased?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã  ½ãñâ  Àã·¾ã  ½ãâ¨ããè (  SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a) to (c): 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.

At present, thirteen draft volumes of 'Strategy for Doubling Farmers' Income by 2022'  prepared  by  the  Committee  have  been  uploaded  on  the  website  of  this Department (http://agricoop.nic.in/doubling-farmers) for seeking public opinion.

(d) & (e): Government  fixes  Minimum  Support  Prices  (MSPs)  of  22  mandated agricultural crops including paddy and fair and remunerative price for sugarcane on the recommendation of Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering  the  views  of  State  Governments  and  Central  Ministries/Departments concerned and other relevant factors.

Government  has  increased  the  Minimum  Support  Prices  (MSPs)  of  all  kharif crops  including  Paddy  for  2018-19  Season. This  decision  of  the  Government  is  a historic one as it redeems the promise of the pre-determined 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.

The Government has increased the MSP of Paddy (common) by Rs. 200/- per quintal and fixed at Rs. 1750/- per quintal and Paddy (Grade A) by Rs. 180/- per quintal and fixed at Rs. 1770/- per quintal for 2018-19 season as against Rs. 1550/- per quintal and Rs. 1590/- per quintal respectively for 2017-18 season. The MSPs for 2018-19 for Paddy provides adequate margin over the cost of production for farmers including the farmers of Tamil Nadu.

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