Lok Sabha Question No. 1178 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-18
Subject: Agricultural Income
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1178

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 18 TH  DECEMBER, 2018

## AGRICULTURAL INCOME

1178.  SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that the average growth rate of agricultural income has come down from 4.2 per cent to 3.7 per cent during the last four years period;
- (b) if so, the reasons therefor and the action taken by the Government thereon;
- (c) whether  it  is  also  a  fact  that  average  agricultural  growth  over  the  past  four  years  has been at its lowest since the beginning of economic reforms; and
- (d) if so, the proposal of the Government to take the agricultural income over 4.5 per cent?

## 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): As per the estimates  released by Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry  of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on  28 th November, 2018, the annual  growth rate of Gross Value Added (GVA) of agriculture & allied sectors during the last four years  at 2011-12 prices are detailed below:

(in percent)

| Year    |   GVA of Agriculture & Allied sectors |
|---------|---------------------------------------|
| 2014-15 |                                  -0.2 |
| 2015-16 |                                   0.6 |
| 2016-17 |                                   6.3 |
| 2017-18 |                                   3.4 |

Source: CSO , MoSPI

- (b): Agriculture growth is subject to cyclical fluctuations on account of the extent and spatial distribution of rainfall during monsoon  season, unseasonal rains/ hailstorms, adverse temperature conditions etc. GVA in agriculture and allied sectors is largely determined by the level of production in agriculture, horticulture, Fisheries, Dairy etc. Production of food grains is a major  component  in  the  overall  value  of  output  /  gross  value  added  in  agriculture.  The production of foodgrains during the period from 2014-15 to 2017-18 is detailed below.

| Year     |   Production of food grains (Million Tonnes) |
|----------|----------------------------------------------|
| 2014-15  |                                       252.02 |
| 2015-16  |                                       251.57 |
| 2016-17  |                                       275.11 |
| 2017-18* |                                       284.83 |

To increase growth of agriculture sector in the country and for welfare of the farmers, Government of India has been implementing various schemes namely Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)- to provide more flexibility to the states for boosting investment and enhancing productivity  in  agriculture  and  allied  sector;  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY)-  to promote  organic  farming  with  usage  of  traditional  resources,  adopting  eco-friendly  low  cost technologies;  Soil  Health  Card  scheme-  for  improving  soil  health  and  its  productivity;    Prime Minister  Krishi  Sinchai  Yojana  (PMKSY)/  "Per  Drop  More  Crop"  -  for  precision  irrigation  and better on-farm water management practices to optimize the use of available water resources; National  Agriculture  Market  Scheme  (NAM)  to  connect  mandis  across  the  entire  country through a common electronic-platform etc.

- (c): No, Madam.

(d): Agriculture being a State subject, the State Government is primarily responsible for the growth  and  development  of  agriculture  sector  and  developing  perspective  plans  for  their respective States and ensuring effective implementation of the programmes/schemes. However,  Government  of  India  supplements  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments  through various Schemes / Programmes.  Apart from this, to achieve the target of doubling the income of farmers by 2022 and for augmenting/attracting public and private investments to revitalize the agriculture sector and increase its growth rate, the Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee on 13.04.2016 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 the same by the year 2022. Government has been focusing on four major aspects to achieve the goal of doubling farmers' income by 2022. These include: reducing input costs; ensuring fair price for the produce; reducing wastage; and creating alternate sources of income.

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