Lok Sabha Question No. 317 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-05
Subject: Doubling the Income of Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: PINAKI MISRA, RAHUL KASWAN, (ADV.) JOICE GEORGE

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.317

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 TH   FEBRUARY, 2019

## DOUBLING THE INCOME OF FARMERS

317. SHRI PINAKI MISRA: SHRI RAHUL KASWAN: ADV. JOICE GEORGE:

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

- (a) whether    the    Government    has  prepared    any    schemes    to    double    the  farmers' income  by  2022  and  if  so,  the details thereof and the present day income of  the  farmers which  the  Government proposes to double by the year 2022;
- (b) whether the Government has taken into  account  the  rate  of  inflation  in  the coming five years to proportionally increase the  income  by  the  year  2022,  if  so,  the details thereof and the difficulties before the Government in taking steps to double farmers' income by 2022;
- (c) whether the Government has any mechanism  to  coordinate  with  State Governments in this regard, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the farmers are not being able to get the remunerative price and profit even after selling their  crops  at  Minimum  Support Price because  of the troubles and problems faced by them and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether    the    Government    is  considering  to  prepare  any  other  scheme  to  check  all these malpractices and if so, the details thereof?

## 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 (c):      The Government has set a target of doubling of farmers' income by the year 2022. For  the  said  purpose,  the  Government  had  constituted  an  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  to examine  issues  relating  to  doubling  of  farmers'  income  and  recommend  strategies.  While targeting  doubling  of  farmers  income,  the  Committee  has  taken  into  account,  economies  of scale  and  the  estimate  inflationary  trends  of  the  future.  The  Committee  has  identified  seven sources  of  income  growth  viz,  improvement  in  crop  productivity;  improvement  in  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. It has also suggested strategies for achieving the required growth.

The  National  Sample  Survey  Office  (NSSO)  conducted  'Situation  Assessment  Survey (SAS) of Agricultural  Households' during NSS 70 th round (January  2013- December 2013) in the rural areas of the country with reference to the agricultural year July 2012- June 2013. The survey  estimated  the  average  monthly  income  per  agricultural  household  as  Rs.6426/-. However, the Committee, which has submitted its report, containing the strategy for doubling of farmers income by the year 2022, has extrapolated the results of  the year 2012-13 survey to the  year  2015-16  at  2015-16  prices  and  shown  that  average  farmers  income  stands  at  Rs. 96,703/- per year.

Agriculture  being  a  State  subject,  the  State  Governments  undertakes  development  of perspective plans and  ensures effective implementation of the  programmes/  schemes. Government of India, on its part, is supplementing the efforts of States by extending necessary financial assistance and technical inputs through its various schemes and programmes. In order to  realise  net  positive  returns  for  the  farmer,  schemes  as  follows,  are  being  promoted  and implemented  in  a  major  way  through  the  States/UTs  viz:-  Soil  Health  Card  (SHC)  scheme; Neem  Coated  Urea  (NCU);  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY);  Pradhan Mantri Annadata  Aay  Sanrakshan Abhiyan  (PM-AASHA);  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana (PKVY);  National  Agriculture  Market  scheme  (e-NAM);  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana (PMFBY);  National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM);  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of Horticulture  (MIDH);  National  Mission  on  Oilseeds  &  Oilpalm  (NMOOP);  National  Mission  for Sustainable  Agriculture  (NMSA);  National  Mission  on  Agricultural  Extension  &  Technology (NMAET) and Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY).      In  addition,  schemes  relating  to  tree plantation (Har Medh Par Ped), Bee Keeping, Dairy and Fisheries are also implemented.  All these schemes are implemented to enhance income of farmers. Central Government intensively monitors and reviews the progress of the schemes regularly.

(d) & (e):      Government fixes the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) of 22 mandated agricultural crops and Fair and Remunerative Prices (FRP) for sugarcane based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering the views of State Governments  and  Central  Ministries/Departments  concerned  &  other  relevant  factors.  In addition,  MSP  for  Toria  and  De-husked  coconut  is  also  fixed  on  the  basis  of  MSPs  of rapeseed/mustard and copra respectively.

Government has increased the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all notified Kharif & Rabi  Crops  and  other  commercial  crops  for  the  season  2018-19  with  a  return  of  atleast  50 percent  over  cost  of  production . This  decision  of  the  Government  was  a  historic  one  as  it redeemed the promise of fixing the MSPs atleast at a level of 50 per cent return over cost of production as announced in the Union Budget 2018-19.

The  recently  launched  Umbrella  Scheme  'Pradhan  Mantri  Annadata  Aay  Sanrakshan Abhiyan(PM-AASHA)' provides for a holistic arrangement for assurance of a remunerative and stable price environment for growers/farmers to increase agriculture production and productivity. This  Umbrella  Scheme  comprises  Price  Support  Scheme(PSS)  for  pulses  &  oilseeds,  Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) & Pilot of Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPSS) for oilseeds to ensure MSP to the farmers.

In order to provide an alternative to farmers for marketing avenues, National Agriculture Market scheme (e-NAM) was launched on 14.04.2016.  The Scheme envisages initiation of emarketing  platform  at  national  level  and  will  support  creation  of  infrastructure  to  enable  emarketing in 585 regulated markets across the country by  March 2018. The target has been achieved. This innovative market process is revolutionizing agri markets by ensuring better price discovery,  bringing  in  transparency  and  competition  to  enable  farmers  to  get  improved remuneration for their produce moving towards 'One Nation One Market'.

As per Union Budget announcement 2018-19, the Government has decided to develop and  upgrade  existing  rural  haats  into  Gramin  Agricultural  Markets  (GrAMs).  These  GrAMs, electronically  linked  to  e-NAM  portal  and  exempted  from  regulations  of  Agriculture  Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs), will provide farmers facility to make direct sale to consumers and bulk purchasers.

Further,  the  Central  Government  has  released  the  Model  Agricultural  Produce  & Livestock  Marketing  (Promotion  &  Facilitation)  Act,  2017,  in  April,  2017  and  the  Model Agricultural Produce & Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion & Facilitation) Act, 2018,  in  May,  2018,  for  adoption  by  State/UTs,  to  promote  alternative  competitive  marketing channels  for  better  pricing  for  farmers  and  to  encourage  private  investment  in  developing efficient marketing infrastructure and value chain.

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