Lok Sabha Question No. 456 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-25
Subject: Definition of Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sumedhanand Saraswati

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 456

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 25 TH  JUNE, 2019

## DEFINITION OF FARMERS

456.     SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARSWATI:

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

- (a) the criteria laid down by the Government for recognition as a farmer and whether any definition has been fixed for being a farmer, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the number of peasant families in the country and the details of the survey done in this regard;
- (c) whether the Government has the details of the average cultivable land of the country's farmers, if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
- (d) whether the Government has the details of farmers who work on rented land or as sharecroppers,  if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State-wise  along  with  the  details  of  the  schemes run/proposed to be run by the Government for such farmers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

(a): As per the National Policy of Farmers, 2007, the term 'Farmer' will refer to a person actively engaged in the economic and/or livelihood activity of growing crops and  producing other  primary  agricultural  commodities  and  will  include  all  agricultural  operational  holders, cultivators,  agricultural  labourers,  sharecroppers,  tenants,  poultry  and  livestock  rearers, fishers, beekeepers, gardeners, pastoralists, non-corporate planters and planting labourers, as  well  as  persons  engaged  in  various  farming-related  occupations  such  as  sericulture, vermiculture, and agro-forestry. The term will also include tribal families/persons engaged in shifting cultivation and in the collection, use and sale of minor and non-timber forest produce.

- (b): In the latest 'Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households' conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in its 70 th round (January,2013 -December,2013), an agricultural household is defined as a household receiving some value of produce  more  than  Rs.3000/- from agriculture activities (e.g., cultivation of field crops,

horticultural crops, fodder crops, plantation, animal husbandry, poultry, fishery, piggery, beekeeping,  vermiculture,  sericulture  etc.)  and  having  at  least  one  member  self-employed  in agriculture either in the principal status or in subsidiary status during last  365 days. As per the above survey,rural India is estimated to have 90.2 million agricultural households during the agricultural year July 2012-June 2013.

(c): As per the results (provisional) of latest Agriculture Census 2015-16, average size of operational  holdings  (defined  as  all  land  which  is  wholly  or  partly  used  for  agriculture production and is operated as one technical unit by one person alone or with others without regard  to  the  title,  legal  form,  size  or  location)  in  the  country  is  1.08  hectare.  State-wise details of average size of operational holdings is given at Annexure-I.

(d): State-wise  details  of  operational  holdings  with  partly  owned  &  partly  leased-in  and wholly  leased-in  agricultural  land  as  per  the  Agriculture  Census  2010-11  is  given  at Annexure-II.

With a view to improve the condition of farmers in the country, the Government has realigned its interventions from production-centric approach to income-centric initiatives with focus on better and new technological solutions. These include implementation of schemes like  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchai  Yojana  (PMKSY),  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana (PKVY), Soil  Health  Card,  Rainfed  Area  Development  (RAD),  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima Yojana  (PMFBY),  Rastriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY),  National  Food  Security  Mission (NFSM), National Agriculture Market Scheme (e-NAM), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Kisan Credit Card etc.

Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 456 due for answer on 25.06.2019

| State-wise average size of operational holdings as per results of Agriculture Census 2015-16(Provisional)   | State-wise average size of operational holdings as per results of Agriculture Census 2015-16(Provisional)   | State-wise average size of operational holdings as per results of Agriculture Census 2015-16(Provisional)   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                                                                      | States/UTs                                                                                                  | Average size of operational holdings (in hectare)                                                           |
| 1                                                                                                           | A & N Islands                                                                                               | 1.78                                                                                                        |
| 2                                                                                                           | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                              | 0.94                                                                                                        |
| 3                                                                                                           | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                           | 3.35                                                                                                        |
| 4                                                                                                           | Assam                                                                                                       | 1.09                                                                                                        |
| 5                                                                                                           | Bihar                                                                                                       | 0.39                                                                                                        |
| 6                                                                                                           | Chandigarh                                                                                                  | 1.21                                                                                                        |
| 7                                                                                                           | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                | 1.25                                                                                                        |
| 8                                                                                                           | D & N Haveli                                                                                                | 1.38                                                                                                        |
| 9                                                                                                           | Daman & Diu                                                                                                 | 0.35                                                                                                        |
| 10                                                                                                          | Delhi                                                                                                       | 1.39                                                                                                        |
| 11                                                                                                          | Goa                                                                                                         | 0.81                                                                                                        |
| 12                                                                                                          | Gujarat                                                                                                     | 1.88                                                                                                        |
| 13                                                                                                          | Haryana                                                                                                     | 2.22                                                                                                        |
| 14                                                                                                          | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                            | 0.95                                                                                                        |
| 15                                                                                                          | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                                             | 0.59                                                                                                        |
| 16                                                                                                          | Jharkhand                                                                                                   | 1.17                                                                                                        |
| 17                                                                                                          | Karnataka                                                                                                   | 1.35                                                                                                        |
| 18                                                                                                          | Kerala                                                                                                      | 0.18                                                                                                        |
| 19                                                                                                          | Lakshadweep                                                                                                 | 0.26                                                                                                        |
| 20                                                                                                          | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                              | 1.57                                                                                                        |
| 21                                                                                                          | Maharashtra                                                                                                 | 1.35                                                                                                        |
| 22                                                                                                          | Manipur                                                                                                     | 1.14                                                                                                        |
| 23                                                                                                          | Meghalaya                                                                                                   | 1.29                                                                                                        |
| 24                                                                                                          | Mizoram                                                                                                     | 1.25                                                                                                        |
| 25                                                                                                          | Nagaland                                                                                                    | 5.06                                                                                                        |
| 26                                                                                                          | Odisha                                                                                                      | 0.95                                                                                                        |
| 27                                                                                                          | Puducherry                                                                                                  | 0.62                                                                                                        |
| 28                                                                                                          | Punjab                                                                                                      | 3.62                                                                                                        |
| 29                                                                                                          | Rajasthan                                                                                                   | 2.73                                                                                                        |
| 30                                                                                                          | Sikkim                                                                                                      | 1.13                                                                                                        |
| 31                                                                                                          | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                  | 0.75                                                                                                        |
| 32                                                                                                          | Telangana                                                                                                   | 1.00                                                                                                        |
| 33                                                                                                          | Tripura                                                                                                     | 0.49                                                                                                        |
| 34                                                                                                          | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                               | 0.73                                                                                                        |
| 35                                                                                                          | Uttarakhand                                                                                                 | 0.85                                                                                                        |
| 36                                                                                                          | West Bengal                                                                                                 | 0.76                                                                                                        |

Annexure referred to in reply to part (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 456 due for answer on 25.06.2019.

| State-wise number of Partly owned & partly leased-in and Wholly leased- in operational holdings as per Agriculture Census 2010-11   | State-wise number of Partly owned & partly leased-in and Wholly leased- in operational holdings as per Agriculture Census 2010-11   | State-wise number of Partly owned & partly leased-in and Wholly leased- in operational holdings as per Agriculture Census 2010-11   | State-wise number of Partly owned & partly leased-in and Wholly leased- in operational holdings as per Agriculture Census 2010-11   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.                                                                                                                              | States/UTs                                                                                                                          | Number of Partly owned & partly leased-in holdings ('00)                                                                            | Number of Wholly leased-in Holdings ('00)                                                                                           |
| 1                                                                                                                                   | A & N Islands                                                                                                                       | Neg                                                                                                                                 | Neg                                                                                                                                 |
| 2                                                                                                                                   | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                      | 237                                                                                                                                 | 328                                                                                                                                 |
| 3                                                                                                                                   | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   |
| 4                                                                                                                                   | Assam                                                                                                                               | 87                                                                                                                                  | 4                                                                                                                                   |
| 5                                                                                                                                   | Bihar                                                                                                                               | 66                                                                                                                                  | 22                                                                                                                                  |
| 6                                                                                                                                   | Chandigarh                                                                                                                          | 0                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   |
| 7                                                                                                                                   | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                        | 1                                                                                                                                   | 9                                                                                                                                   |
| 8                                                                                                                                   | D & N Haveli                                                                                                                        | 0                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   |
| 9                                                                                                                                   | Daman & Diu                                                                                                                         | 0                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   |
| 10                                                                                                                                  | Delhi                                                                                                                               | 0                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   |
| 11                                                                                                                                  | Goa                                                                                                                                 | 12                                                                                                                                  | 59                                                                                                                                  |
| 12                                                                                                                                  | Gujarat                                                                                                                             | 0                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   |
| 13                                                                                                                                  | Haryana                                                                                                                             | 0                                                                                                                                   | Neg                                                                                                                                 |
| 14                                                                                                                                  | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                    | 97                                                                                                                                  | 14                                                                                                                                  |
| 15                                                                                                                                  | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                                                                     | 3                                                                                                                                   | 6                                                                                                                                   |
| 16                                                                                                                                  | Jharkhand                                                                                                                           | 4                                                                                                                                   | 7                                                                                                                                   |
| 17                                                                                                                                  | Karnataka                                                                                                                           | 0                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   |
| 18                                                                                                                                  | Kerala                                                                                                                              | 332                                                                                                                                 | 48                                                                                                                                  |
| 19                                                                                                                                  | Lakshadweep                                                                                                                         | 0                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   |
| 20                                                                                                                                  | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                      | 4                                                                                                                                   | 104                                                                                                                                 |
| 21                                                                                                                                  | Maharashtra                                                                                                                         | 0                                                                                                                                   | Neg                                                                                                                                 |
| 22                                                                                                                                  | Manipur                                                                                                                             | 57                                                                                                                                  | 50                                                                                                                                  |
| 23                                                                                                                                  | Meghalaya                                                                                                                           | 6                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   |
| 24                                                                                                                                  | Mizoram                                                                                                                             | 0                                                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                                                   |
| 25                                                                                                                                  | Nagaland                                                                                                                            | 0                                                                                                                                   | 3                                                                                                                                   |
| 26                                                                                                                                  | Odisha                                                                                                                              | 3289                                                                                                                                | 2193                                                                                                                                |
| 27                                                                                                                                  | Puducherry                                                                                                                          | 1                                                                                                                                   | 2                                                                                                                                   |
| 28                                                                                                                                  | Punjab                                                                                                                              | 224                                                                                                                                 | 19                                                                                                                                  |
| 29                                                                                                                                  | Rajasthan                                                                                                                           | 204                                                                                                                                 | 65                                                                                                                                  |
| 30                                                                                                                                  | Sikkim                                                                                                                              | 6                                                                                                                                   | 9                                                                                                                                   |
| 31                                                                                                                                  | Tamil Nadu                                                                                                                          | 72                                                                                                                                  | 120                                                                                                                                 |
| 32                                                                                                                                  | Tripura                                                                                                                             | 32                                                                                                                                  | 14                                                                                                                                  |
| 33                                                                                                                                  | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                       | 0                                                                                                                                   | 3036                                                                                                                                |
| 34                                                                                                                                  | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                         | 38                                                                                                                                  | 3                                                                                                                                   |
| 35                                                                                                                                  | West Bengal                                                                                                                         | 13788                                                                                                                               | 1124                                                                                                                                |
| All                                                                                                                                 | India                                                                                                                               | 18561                                                                                                                               | 7239                                                                                                                                |

Note: (1)Total may not tally due to rounding off. (2) Neg- Negligible.

(3) Telangana State came into existence in 2014.

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