Lok Sabha Question No. 242 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-04
Subject: Low Rate of Agricultural Employment
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: S. Jagathrakshakan

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 242

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 4 TH  FEBRUARY, 2020

## LOW RATE OF AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT

242.  SHRI S. JAGATHRAKSHAKAN:

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

- (a) whether the rate of employment, as well as employment opportunities in the agricultural sector has dwindled over a period of time;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) the steps taken to create additional employment opportunities in the agricultural sector;
- (d) whether the Government has assigned the responsibility for technology upgradation in the labouroriented agricultural sector to any research institute; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the time by which such upgraded technology is likely to be implemented ?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a) & (b): As per the Annual Report of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) (July 2017 to June  2018),  the  Worker  Population  Ratio  (WPR)  in  usual  status  [princpal  status  (ps)  + subsidiary status (ss)] and percentage working in usual status (ps + ss) engaged in agriculture sector among total workers in usual status (ps + ss) is 34.7 and 44.1 respectively.

As per  the  report,  the  percentage  distribution  of  workers  in  usual  status  (ps  +  ss)  in agriculture for rural areas is as follows:

| Category     |   NSS 68th round (July, 2011 to June, 2012) |   PLFS (July, 2017 to June, 2018) |
|--------------|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| Rural Male   |                                        59.4 |                              55   |
| Rural Female |                                        74.9 |                              73.2 |

NSS- National Sample Survey.

The concept/ defination for ps, ss, WPR etc is in Annexure-I

Movement of  agricultural  labour  from  agriculture  to  other  sectors  of  the  economy  is  a general phenomenon and a natural part of the development process of developing economies. The  reasons  for  this  shift  include,  inter  alia,  better  employment  opportunities  in  industry  and services, increasing urbanization, low income in agriculture etc. In a market economy like India, movement of the people for better economic opportunities is inexorable.

- (c): To increase the employability in agriculture sector, non-farm employment opportunities for  rural  workers  have been  accelerated. Focus of the Government has been on skilling of rural youth and creating gainful employment opportunities. Accordingly the following initiatives have been taken in this regard like:
1. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
2. Food Security Mission.
3. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
4. Custom Hiring Centres.
5. Establishment of the Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres (ACABC).
6. Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC).
7. National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), etc.
- (d) to (e): Department of Agricultural Research and Education/Indian Council of Agricultural Research  (DARE/ICAR)  Central  Institute  of  Agricultural  Engineering;  Bhopal  is  engaged  in development  and  improvement  farm  equipment/  machines  and  introduce  the  technologies  in farming.  The  small  tools  of  proven  designs  have  been  designed  and  developed.  The equipments are demonstrated during Frontline Demonstration and trainings. These equipments reduce  drudgery  in  farm  operation  and  save  inputs  (seeds,  fertilizers,  chemicals,  water  and fuel).

Similarly,  Central  Institute  of  Post  Harvest  Technology,  Ludhiana  is  working  on Research  and  Development  activities  towards  the  development  of  tools,  machines  and technologies for storage, post-harvest processing and value-addition of agricultural commodities.  During  last  five  years  about  180  improved  farm  equipments/  tools/machines, 120  process  protocols  and  products  and  08  pilot  plants  were  developed  by  the  institutes. Based on the feedback received from stakeholders, technologies are upgraded from time to time.

## Annexure referred to in reply to Unstarred Lok Sabha Question No. 242 Due for answer

## on 04.02.2020

## Explanatory Note on WPR, PS, SS and coverage with respect to Agriculture Sector:

1.  Defination  of  Worker  (employed  persons):  Persons  who,  during  the  reference  period, were engaged in any economic activity or who, despite their attachement to economic activity,  temporarily  abstained  from  work for  reasons  of  illness,  injury  or  other  physical disability,  bad  weather,  festivals,  social  or  religoius  functions  or  other  contingencies constituted workers.
2.  Definations of usual status workers (ps + ss): The workers in the usaul status (ps + ss) are obtained by considering the usual principle status (ps) and the subsidiary status (ss) together. The workers in the usual status (ps + ss) include (a) the persons who worked for  a  relatively  long  part  of  the  365  days  preceeding  the  date  of  survey  and  (b)  the persons  from  among  the  remaining  population  who  has  worked  at  least  for  30  days during the referance period of 365 days preceeding the date of survey. no. of employed persons

Worker Population ratio (WPR) =

T otal Population

3.  For the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS),  NIC 2008 has been used to record the industry  of  activity  of  the  worker.  The  industry  section  wise  description  of  agriculture sector as per NIC 1998, NIC 2004 and NIC 2008 are as follows.

| NIC 1998   | Section A: Agriculture, hunting and Forestry Section B: Fishing   |
|------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| NIC 2004   | Section A: Agriculture, hunting and Forestry Section B: Fishing   |
| NIC 2008   | Section A: Agriculture, hunting and Fishing                       |

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