Lok Sabha Question No. 1705 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-02
Subject: Cultivable Land
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Ashok Kumar Rawat

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1705

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2 ND   JULY, 2019

## CULTIVABLE LAND

1705.     SHRI ASHOK KUMAR RAWAT:

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

- (a) the total area of cultivable land in Uttar Pradesh on which farming is being done as on date, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of cultivable land, State-wise;
- (c) the  area  of  extra  land  on  which farming can be carried out, State-wise;
- (d) the extent of loss occurred due to farming not being done on such land; and
- (e) the  corrective  steps  proposed  to be taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (c):   As per the  publication  Land Use Statistics for 2014-15 (latest available), the Statewise  details  of:  (i)  cultivated  land  (area  of  cultivable  land  on  which  farming  is  done)  (ii) agricultural land (cultivable land) and (iii) the land which is cultivable but where farming is not being done which is the difference between (ii) and (i) are at Annex I.

(d) & (e): India has the highest arable land in the world as per the data released by FAO for the year 2016. The extent of loss occurred due to farming not being done on such land is not maintained centrally, as agriculture is a State subject. It is the domain responsibility of the State governments to take necessary steps for bringing more area under cultivation.  Government of India  supplements  the  efforts  of  States,  through  appropriate  policy  measures  and  budgetary support.

In order to check decline in the arable area in the country, under the National Policy for Farmers - 2007 (NPF-2007), State Governments have been advised to earmark lands with low biological  potential  such  as  uncultivable  land,  land  affected  by  salinity,  acidity,  etc.,  for  nonagricultural  development  activities,  including  industrial  and  construction  activities.  National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy - 2007 (NRRP-2007) has also recommended that as far Contd…2/-

as  possible,  projects  may  be  set  up  on  waste  land,  degraded  land  or  un-irrigated  land  and acquisition of irrigated, multi-cropped agricultural land for non-agricultural uses may be kept to the  minimum  and  avoided,  to  the  extent  possible.  Further,  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  is implementing  an  Integrated  Watershed  Management  Programme  (IWMP)  for  development  of rainfed/  degraded  areas.  The  IWMP  has  been  converted  to  the  Watershed  Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana (PMKSY) from the financial  year 2015-16.

The  ICAR  has  developed  location  specific  bio-engineering  soil  &  water  conservation measure, land management techniques, soil reclamation measures for saline, alkali, waterlogged and acid soils, selection of suitable crops including agroforestry interventions and other practices like integrated nutrient management, supplementary/protective irrigation to make barren/ waste lands fertile and cultivable. The ICAR also imparts training, organises Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) etc, to educate farmers on all these aspects.

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. No.1705 due for answer on 2/07/19

State-wise details of cultivated land, cultivable land, area of extra land on which farming can be carried out in the country in 2014-15 (latest available)

(thousand hectares)

| STATES/Uts               |   cultivated land/ area of cultivable land on which farming is being done |   cultivable land | area of extra land on which farming can be carried out   |
|--------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| 1                        |                                                                         2 |                 3 | 4=3-2                                                    |
| ANDHRA PRADESH           |                                                                      7638 |              9047 | 1409                                                     |
| ARUNACHALPRADESH         |                                                                       261 |               423 | 162                                                      |
| ASSAM                    |                                                                      2915 |              3364 | 449                                                      |
| BIHAR                    |                                                                      6167 |              6579 | 412                                                      |
| CHHATTISGARH             |                                                                      4948 |              5558 | 610                                                      |
| GOA                      |                                                                       144 |               197 | 53                                                       |
| GUJARAT                  |                                                                     10681 |             12661 | 1980                                                     |
| HARYANA                  |                                                                      3608 |              3656 | 48                                                       |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH         |                                                                       604 |               812 | 208                                                      |
| JAMMU& KASHMIR           |                                                                       864 |              1075 | 211                                                      |
| JHARKHAND                |                                                                      2770 |              4343 | 1573                                                     |
| KARNATAKA                |                                                                     11615 |             12827 | 1212                                                     |
| KERALA                   |                                                                      2108 |              2266 | 158                                                      |
| MADHYA PRADESH           |                                                                     15740 |             17252 | 1513                                                     |
| MAHARASHTRA              |                                                                     18744 |             21099 | 2356                                                     |
| MANIPUR                  |                                                                       383 |               390 | 7                                                        |
| MEGHALAYA                |                                                                       347 |              1056 | 710                                                      |
| MIZORAM                  |                                                                       191 |               367 | 176                                                      |
| NAGALAND                 |                                                                       434 |               694 | 260                                                      |
| ODISHA                   |                                                                      5392 |              6784 | 1392                                                     |
| PUNJAB                   |                                                                      4202 |              4285 | 83                                                       |
| RAJASTHAN                |                                                                     19377 |             25511 | 6134                                                     |
| SIKKIM                   |                                                                        84 |                97 | 12                                                       |
| TAMIL NADU               |                                                                      5817 |              8112 | 2294                                                     |
| TELANGANA                |                                                                      5777 |              6877 | 1100                                                     |
| TRIPURA                  |                                                                       257 |               272 | 16                                                       |
| UTTARAKHAND              |                                                                       757 |              1549 | 791                                                      |
| UTTAR PRADESH            |                                                                     17720 |             18939 | 1220                                                     |
| WEST BENGAL              |                                                                      5577 |              5655 | 78                                                       |
| ANDAMAN &NICOBAR ISLANDS |                                                                        17 |                28 | 10                                                       |
| CHANDIGARH               |                                                                         1 |                 1 | 0                                                        |
| DADRA &NAGARHAVELI       |                                                                        21 |                24 | 3                                                        |
| DAMAN &DIU               |                                                                         3 |                 3 | 0                                                        |
| DELHI                    |                                                                        34 |                53 | 19                                                       |
| LAKSHADWEEP              |                                                                         2 |                 2 | 0                                                        |
| PUDUCHERRY               |                                                                        21 |                29 | 9                                                        |
| ALL INDIA                |                                                                    155221 |            181886 | 26665                                                    |

Source: Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.