Lok Sabha Question No. 2339 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-03
Subject: Action Plan on Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sunil Kumar Mondal

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2339

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 3 RD  DECEMBER, 2019

## ACTION PLAN ON AGRICULTURE

2339. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR MONDAL:

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  draft  for  future  action  plan  pertaining  to Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a) to (c): Agriculture being a State subject, the State Governments undertakes development of perspective plans and ensures effective implementation of the programmes/ schemes. The Government of India also supplements the  efforts of  the State  Governments through various Schemes/ Programmes. A list of various interventions taken by the Government is at A nnexure . All these steps of the Government of India are for the welfare of farmers of the country.

The  Government  constituted  an  Inter-ministerial  Committee  in  April,  2016  to  examine issues  relating  to  'Doubling  of  Farmers  Income'  and  recommend  strategies  to  achieve  the same.  The Committee submitted its Report to the Government in September, 2018. To achieve this,  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. Subsequently an  Empowered  Body  was  set  up  on 23.01.2019 to  monitor  and  review  the progress  against  the  recommendations.  Due  to  the  efforts  made  as  part  of  schemes/ programmes of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare which also aligns with the strategy of doubling farmers' income, there has been an appreciable improvement in efficiency bringing about a positive impact in the agriculture sector.

## Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2339 due for answer on 03.12.2019 regarding 'Action Plan on Agriculture'

The strategy of the Government is to focus on farmers' welfare by making farming viable. The schemes of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare focus on directly benefitting farmers through various interventions and schemes and include:-

- (i)       Implementation of flagship scheme of distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers so that the use of fertilizers can be rationalized.
- (ii)       'Per drop more crop' initiative under which drip/sprinkler irrigation is being encouraged  for  optimal  utilization  of  water,  reducing  cost  of  inputs  and  increasing productivity.
- (iii)       'Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)' for promoting organic farming.
- (iv)       Launch of e-NAM  initiative to provide farmers an electronic transparent  and competitive online trading platform.
- (v)      With a view to provide better insurance coverage to crops for risk mitigation, a crop insurance scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was launched  from  Kharif  2016  season.  This  scheme  provides  insurance  cover  for  all stages of the crop cycle including post-harvest risks in specified instances, with low premium contribution by farmers.
- (vi)       Under 'Har Medh  Par Ped', agro forestry is being promoted for additional income.  With the amendment of Indian Forest Act, 1927, Bamboo has been removed from  the  definition  of  trees.  A  restructured  National  Bamboo  Mission  has  been launched in the year 2018 to promote bamboo plantation on non forest government as  well  as  private  land  and  emphasis  on  value  addition,  product  development  and markets.
- (vii) Giving  a  major  boost  for  the  farmer's  income,  the  Government  has  approved  the increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi crops for 2018-19 season at a level of at least 150 percent of the cost of production.
- (viii) Giving  a  major  boost  to  the  pro-farmer  initiatives,  the  Government  has  approved  a new  Umbrella  Scheme  'Pradhan  Mantri Annadata  Aay  Sanrakshan  Abhiyan  (PMAASHA)'.  The Scheme is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018. This is an unprecedented step taken by Govt. of India to protect the farmers' income which is expected to go a long way towards the welfare of farmers.
- (ix)       Bee  keeping  has  been  promoted  under  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of Horticulture  (MIDH)  to  increase  the  productivity  of  crops  through  pollination  and increase the honey production as an additional source of income of farmers.
- (x)      Extending the reach of institutional credit to more and more farmers is priority area of the Government  and  to  achieve  this goal, the Government  provides  interest subvention  of  2%  on  short-term  crop  loans  up  to  Rs.3.00  lakh.  Presently,  loan  is available to farmers at an interest rate of 7% per annum, which gets reduced to 4% on prompt repayment.
- (xi)       Government sets annual target for the flow of credit to the agriculture sector, Banks have been consistently surpassing the annual target. The current year's agriculture credit flow target has been set at Rs. 13.50 lakh crore.

- (xii) Further, under Interest Subvention Scheme 2018-19, in order to provide relief to the farmers  on  occurrence  of  natural  calamities,  the  interest  subvention  of  2%  shall continue  to  be  available  to  banks  for  the  first  year  on  the  restructured  amount.  In order  to  discourage  distress  sale  by  farmers  and  to  encourage  them  to  store  their produce in warehouses against negotiable receipts, the benefit of interest subvention will be available to small and marginal farmers having Kisan Credit Card for a further period of upto six months post harvest on the same rate as available to crop loan.
- (xiii) The Government has approved for giving the facility of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to the farmers practicing animal husbandry and fisheries related   activities and has also decided to extend the Interest Subvention Facilities to such categories of farmers.
- (xiv) With a view to provide income support to all farmers' families across the country, to enable them to take care  of  expenses related  to  agriculture  and  allied  activities  as well  as  domestic  needs,  the  Central  Government  started  a  new  Central  Sector Scheme, namely, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN). The scheme aims to provide a payment of Rs. 6000/- per year, in three 4-monthly installments of Rs.  2000/-  to  the  farmers  families,  subject  to  certain  exclusions  relating  to  higher income groups.
- (xv) Further  with  a  view  to  provide  social  security  net  for  Small  and  Marginal  Farmers (SMF) as they have minimal or no savings to provide for old age and to support them in  the  event  of  consequent  loss  of  livelihood,  the  Government  has  decided  to implement another new Central Sector Scheme for providing old age pension to these farmers. Under this Scheme, a minimum fixed pension of Rs. 3000/- will be provided to  the  eligible  small  and  marginal  farmers,  subject  to  certain  exclusion  clauses,  on attaining the age of 60 years.

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