Lok Sabha Question No. 506 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-25
Subject: Income of Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Vincent H Pala

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 506

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 25 TH   JUNE, 2019

## INCOME OF FARMERS

## 506.   SHRI VINCENT H. PALA:

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

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to double the income of farmers as targeted in 2022;
- (b) the details of the amount invested by the Government on increasing of farmers income during the last five years, year-wise and State-wise;
- (c) whether  any  Committee  has  been  set    up    by    the  Government    to    advise    the Government on how to assist the farmers scientifically and if so, the details of the Committee which has been set up by the Government in this regard; and
- (d) the    numbers    of    farmers    being  trained  by  the  Government  for  enhancing  the technology to increase the production?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a):     The Government had 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  has  submitted  its  Report  to  the  Government  in  September,  2018.  An Empowered  Body  has  also  been  set  up  to  monitor  and  review  the  progress  against  the recommendations. All programmes of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare are aligned to achieving these recommendations. A list of various interventions taken by the Government is at Annexure-I.
- (b): Details of amount released by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare      to  State  Governments  during  the  last  five  years  under  various  schemes  is  at Annexure - II.
- (c): The  Government  had  constituted  a  high  level  Committee  in  April,  2016  consisting  of Members from various Departments, NITI Aayog and other Non-official members to recommend a comprehensive plan to double the income of farmers by devising various strategies, inter-alia, to assist the farmers scientifically and with modernization of technology.

(d): A Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 'Support to State Extension Programs for Extension Reforms' popularly known as Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) Scheme is under implementation since 2005. Presently, Scheme is being implemented in 684 districts of 29 states & 3 UTs of the country. The scheme promotes decentralized farmer-friendly system in the country with an objective to support State Government's efforts to revitalize the extension system and making available the latest agricultural technologies and good agricultural practices in  different  thematic  areas  of  agriculture  and  allied  areas  to  farmers.  The  extension  activities under ATMA  include Farmers Training. Demonstrations, Exposure Visits, Kisan Mela, Mobilization  of  Farmers  Groups  and  organizing  Farm  Schools  etc.  During  the  year  2018-19, 18,59,231 farmers have been given training under the scheme.

After the Gazette Notification issued by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship  in  July  2015,  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers Welfare (DAC & FW) has been operationalising skill training courses for rural youth and farmers as  per  the  approved  108  Qualification  Packs  developed  by  Agriculture  Skill  Council  of  India, through  the  National  Training  Institutes,  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendra  (KVKs)  of  Indian  Council  of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and State Agricultural Universities. During the year 2018-19, 796 skill training courses were conducted with 159,18 participants.

Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 506 due for 25.06.2019-Statement in respect of Part (a) of the Question regarding Income of Farmers.

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

- (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 post-harvest risks in specified instances.
- (ix)     Under  'Har  Medh  Par  Ped',  agro  forestry  is  being  promoted.  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 with emphasis on value addition and product development.
- (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) 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.
- (xviii)  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.
- (xix) With a view to provide income support to all farmers 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  instalments  of  Rs.  2000/-  to  the farmers, subject to certain exclusions relating to higher income groups.  About 14.5 crore farmers are expected to be covered under the Scheme.
- (xx)    With a view to provide social security net for Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF) as they have minimal or no savings to be provided 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/-  to  provide  to  the  eligible  small  and marginal farmers, subject to certain exclusion clauses, on attaining the age of 60 years. The scheme aims to cover around 5 crore beneficiaries in the first three years. It would be a voluntary and contributory pension scheme, with entry age of 18 to 40 years. The Government has approved a budgetary provision of Rs. 10774.50 crore for the scheme till March, 2022.

## Annexure II

## Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 506 due for 25.06.2019 Statement in respect  of Part (b) of the Question  regarding 'Income of Farmers'

(Rs. In Crore)

| Sl. No.   | Name of the State    |   2014-15 |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 | 2018-19        |
|-----------|----------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|----------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh       |    646.49 |    612.48 |    796.13 |   1142.33 | 1289.70        |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh    |     74.24 |    102.01 |     44.94 |     49.29 | 74.77          |
| 3         | Assam                |    442.75 |    226.57 |    305.93 |    484.81 | 441.91         |
| 4         | Bihar                |    729.92 |    257.67 |    222.72 |    200.94 | 242.63         |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh         |    567.89 |    323.5  |    407.02 |    469.27 | 405.37         |
| 6         | Goa                  |      2.31 |     24.83 |     14.23 |     13.02 | 18.03          |
| 7         | Gujarat              |    648.97 |    503.03 |    586.68 |    667.87 | 588.41         |
| 8         | Haryana              |    388.71 |    258.19 |    231.97 |    256.55 | 262.14         |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh     |    172.5  |     94.56 |    128.86 |    138.7  | 133.25         |
| 10        | Jammu & Kashmir      |    153.27 |    116.2  |    166.39 |    172.62 | 76.82          |
| 11        | Jharkhand            |    271.93 |    174.29 |    176.05 |    121.62 | 122.28         |
| 12        | Karnataka            |   1050.63 |    758.56 |    751.63 |    938.85 | 943.33         |
| 13        | Kerala               |    377.83 |    137.96 |    120.92 |    143.8  | 184.45         |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh       |    994.27 |    755.84 |    786.51 |    641.83 | 666.95         |
| 15        | Maharashtra          |   1601.08 |    880.29 |    939.02 |   1213.89 | 1113.24        |
| 16        | Manipur              |    128.97 |     96    |     51.35 |    106.6  | 116.93         |
| 17        | Meghalaya            |    108.15 |     39.64 |     42.8  |     45.54 | 75.20          |
| 18        | Mizoram              |    193.84 |     82.71 |     92    |    102.1  | 102.24         |
| 19        | Nagaland             |    139.27 |     90.38 |     97.64 |    172.76 | 197.70         |
| 20        | Odisha               |    716.57 |    515.28 |    555.63 |    469.69 | 573.85         |
| 21        | Punjab               |    541.23 |    211.2  |    200.86 |    225.57 | 108.33         |
| 22        | Rajasthan            |   1151.25 |    719.49 |    623.4  |    578.28 | 673.07         |
| 23 24     | Sikkim               |     76.75 |     56.56 |     58.54 |     59.53 | 123.08 1025.54 |
| 25        | Tamil Nadu Telangana |    588.18 |    594.25 |    547.57 |    845.16 | 309.30         |
|           |                      |    414.06 |    382.62 |    517.13 |    451.29 |                |
| 26 27     | Tripura              |    166.04 |     88.09 |     90.08 |    130.57 | 157.76         |
|           | Uttar Pradesh        |   1037.23 |    521.31 |    509.73 |    618.53 | 904.71         |
| 28        | Uttarakhand          |    147.73 |    113.99 |    168.44 |    280.56 | 311.89         |
| 29        | West Bengal          |    696.32 |    410.23 |    430.15 |    544.63 | 488.78         |
|           | TOTAL                |  14228.4  |   9147.73 |   9664.35 |  11286.2  | 11731.67       |

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