Lok Sabha Question No. 245 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-05
Subject: Uniform Policies for Agriculture Sector
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: K. ASHOK KUMAR

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 245

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 TH  FEBRUARY, 2019

## UNIFORM POLICIES FOR AGRICULTURE SECTOR

245.   SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR:

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  Government  is  considering  a  uniform  set  of  policies  for  the agricultural  sector  across  the  country,  so  that  farmers  benefit  the  most  and  their  income doubles;
- (b) whether it is also true that the agriculture sector is an area that bothers both the Centre and the States with both the Governments making policies for the sector; and
- (c) 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): Agriculture  being  a  State  subject,  the  State  Governments  undertakes  development  of perspective plans and ensures effective implementation of the programmes/ schemes.  Also, Government of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments / UTs through various Schemes/ Programmes. The States/UTs implement the schemes in the overall framework of scheme guidelines keeping in View the requirement and challenges specific to the States / UTs. The States/UTs implement the schemes in the overall framework of Scheme guidelines keeping in view the requirement and challenges specific to the States/UTs.

(b) & (c): Further, the Government has set a target of doubling of farmers' income by the year 2022. The Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee to examine issues relating  to  doubling  of  farmers'  income  and  recommend  a  strategy  to  achieve  doubling  of farmers' income in real terms by the year 2022. The Committee has submitted its report.

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.

Several  initiatives  have  already  been  taken  among  each  of  the  above  mentioned strategies which inter-alia include:

- (i) Initiating market reforms through the State Governments.

(ii) Encouraging contract farming through the State Governments by promulgating of Model Contract Farming Act.

- (iii) Up-gradation of Gramin Haats to work as centers of aggregation and for direct purchase of agricultural commodities from the farmers.
- (iv) Launch of e-NAM initiative to provide farmers an  electronic online trading platform.
- (v) Implementation of flagship scheme of distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers so that the use of fertilizers can be optimized.
- (vi) "Per drop more crop" initiative under which drip/sprinkler irrigation is being encouraged for optimal utilization of water.

(vii) "Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY)"  under  which  organic  farming  is  being promoted.

(viii) With a view to provide better insurance coverage to crops for risk mitigation, Government has launched a crop insurance scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) from Kharif 2016 season. This scheme provides insurance cover for all stages of the crop cycle including postharvest risks in specified instances.

(ix) Under "Har Medh Par Ped", agro forestry is being  promoted. With the amendment of Indian  Forest  Act,  1947  Bamboo  grown  outside  forest  area  has  been  removed  from  the definition of trees and a mission have been launched to promote bamboo plantation.

- (x) Giving a major boost for the farmers 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.

(xi) 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.

(xii) 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.

(xiii) Rashtriya Gokul Mission to enhance milk production and productivity of bovines and to make milk production more remunerative to the farmers.

- (xiv) National Livestock Mission to increase productivity and genetic improvement of livestock.

(xv) Foreseeing high potential in fisheries  sector,  a  Blue  Revolution  with  multi  dimensional activities mainly focusing on fisheries production, both inland and marine is being implemented.

- (xvi) The  Government  provides  total  interest  subvention  up  to  5%  (inclusive  of  3%  prompt repayment incentive)  on short-term  crop  loans  up  to  Rs.3.00  lakh.  Thus,  loan  is  available  to farmers at a reduced rate of 4% per annum on prompt repayment.

(xvii)   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.11 lakh crore.

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