Lok Sabha Question No. 1590 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-12
Subject: Farmers’ Agitation
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: K. ASHOK KUMAR, SUKENDER REDDY GUTHA, K. GOPAL

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1590

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  12 TH  FEBRUARY, 2019

## FARMERS' AGITATION

1590.  SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR: SHRI GUTHA SUKENDER REDDY: DR. K. GOPAL:

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

- (a) whether it is true that the farmers have threatened to stop all supplies to cities and towns and have demanded for putting an end to farm indebtedness and for guaranteeing remunerative minimum support price for all agricultural products;
- (b) whether it is also true that the farmers organisation has demanded for taking up two private members bills in this regard and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken note of the dharna of the farmers made on 2.10.2018 seeking redressal of their demands  like writing off their crop loans, implementation of Swaminathan Committee recommendations etc. and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether it is true that a section of farmers' groups has announced four months of agitations ending  with  a  march  to  Delhi,  in  protest  against  the  Government's  minimum  support  prices  for kharif crops and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  it  is  also  true  that  MSP  hike  was  based  on  a  lower  calculation  than  what  was recommended by the Swaminathan Commission and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the  remedial  measures  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  appease  the  farmers  and  do justice to them?

## 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)  to (e):       From time to time, some farmers and farmers' organizations have been making certain demands  like waiver of farm loans, implementation of Swaminathan  Committee recommendations pertaining to fixation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agricultural produce and guaranteed income of farmers and other agricultural policies, which is taken due note of by the Government.

Two Private Member's Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha on 3 rd August, 2018. The first Bill  titled  'The  Farmers'  Right  to  Guaranteed  Remunerative  Minimum  Support  Prices  for Agricultural Commodities  Bill, 2018' proposes  provisions regarding, inter-alia,  Guaranteed Remunerative  Minimum  Support  Prices  (GRMSP)  for  Agricultural  Commodities  with  minimum 50% profit margin over comprehensive cost of production upon sale of agricultural commodities, and  to  constitute  an  autonomous  body  to  be  known  as  'Central  Farmers  Agricultural  Costs  & Remunerative  Price  Guarantee  Commission'  for  the  recommendation  and  implementation  the GRMSP for agricultural commodities  as well as to constitute a 'State Farmers Agricultural Costs & Remunerative Price Guarantee Commission' for the recommendation and implementation the GRMSP for  all  agricultural  commodities  which  will  recommend  to  the  Central  Commission  on GRMSP.

The second Bill titled 'Farmers' Freedom from Indebtedness Bill, 2018' proposes provisions, inter-alia, to confer a right on indebted farmers to obtain immediate one time complete waiver of outstanding loan, right to obtain production loans from institutional creditors at subsidized rates and  constitution  of  a  National  Farmers'  Distress  and  Disaster  Relief  Commission  and  State Farmers' Distress and Disaster Relief Commissions with power to pass awards and recommend appropriate measures for the relief to farmers in distress and for matter connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The  National  Commission  on  Farmers  (NCF)  headed  by  Dr.  M.  S.  Swaminathan  has recommended that the MSP should be at least 50 percent more than the weighted average cost of production.  However,  when  the  National  Policy  of  Farmers,  2007  was  finalized  by  the  then Government, this recommendation of providing 50 percent returns over cost of production was not included. Dr.  M.  S.  Swaminathan in his Report on NCF had discussed different dimensions for fixing MSPs, but while finalizing National Policy of Farmers, the then Government had accepted the current established methods.

(f):       Government has increased the MSPs for all mandated crops with a return of atleast 50 percent over cost of production for the season 2018-19. This decision of the Government was a historic one as it fulfills the commitment to the farmers to provide atleast 50 percent return over cost of production for the first time for all mandated crops.

Further,  to  provide  an  assured  income  support  to  the  small  and  marginal  farmers,  the Government  has  launched  a  new  Central  Sector  scheme,  namely, Pradhan  Mantri  KIsan SAmman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) .  This scheme is 100% funded by Government of India. Under the Scheme,  all  Small  and  Marginal  landholding  farmer  families,  having  cultivable  land  upto  2 hectares, will be provided direct income support @Rs.6000/- per annum.  The income support will be  transferred  directly  into  the  bank  accounts  of  beneficiary  farmers,  in  three  installments  in  a financial year.  The benefit under the scheme shall be admissible for transfer w.e.f 01.12.2018. PM-KISAN would not only provide assured supplemental income to the most vulnerable farmers families, but would also meet their emergent needs especially before the harvest season.

The Government has set a target of doubling of farmers' income by the year 2022.  For the said purpose, the Government has taken a number of measures.  The Government is aiming to reorient  the  agriculture  sector  by  focusing  on  an  income-centeredness  in  addition  to  pure production  centeredness approach. The Department has, therefore, been implementing various schemes such as Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), National Agriculture Market Scheme (e-NAM), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), ' Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan ' (PM-AASHA), etc. to meet this objective.

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