Lok Sabha Question No. 1304 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-18
Subject: Implementation of Swaminathan Committee Report
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: SAUGATA ROY

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1304

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 18 TH  DECEMBER, 2018

## IMPLEMENTATION  OF  SWAMINATHAN COMMITTEE  REPORT

1304.     PROF.  SAUGATA ROY:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken steps  to  implement  M.S.  Swaminathan Committee Report;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  expected  expenditure  to implement the committee report;
- (d) whether  any  State  Government/ organizations approached Government to implement the committee report;
- (e) if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) if  not,  the  reasons  for  not implementing  the  committee  report  in agriculture sector of the country?

## 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) to (f): The  Swaminathan  Commission  submitted  five  reports  to  the  Government.  The major recommendations of the Commission contained in the five reports were included in the 'Draft  National Policy for Farmers' submitted by the Commission itself in 2006. Based on the 'Draft  National  Policy  for  Farmers',  submitted  by  the  Swaminathan  Commission,  which contained major recommendations of the Commission, the Government, after consultations with State  Governments  and  the  Central  Ministries  concerned,  approved  the  National  Policy  for Farmers  (NPF),  2007,  which  aims  to  improve  economic  viability  of  farming  and  increase  net income of farmers.

The NPF, 2007 also provides that the State Governments/UTs have to convert national goals into local action points by preparing operational plans for implementing this policy taking into account the agro-climatic and other local conditions. Such operational plans be prepared at the district level by a multi-disciplinary professional group and integrated at the state level.

Contd….2/-

An  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  (IMC),  which  was  constituted  for  preparation  of  Plan  of Action, identified 201 Action Points from NPF, 2007, where necessary action had to be taken. Of the 201 number of action points identified, 192 numbers have already been implemented as of date.

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  through  various Schemes/ Programmes.

Further,  the  Government  has  set  a  target  of  doubling  of  farmers'  income  by  the  year 2022. The Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship of  Chief  Executive Officer,  National  Rainfed  Area  Authority, Department  of  Agriculture, Cooperation and  Farmers Welfare  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 identified seven sources of income growth viz, improvement in crop and 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. The committee is also looking into the investments in and for agriculture e.g. increasing public investments for agriculture-rural roads, rural electricity, irrigation; the need for policy support to enable investments by corporate sector in agriculture.

Several initiatives have already been taken among each of the above mention 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 eNAM 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,  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 of the Government and in keeping with its commitment and dedication for the Annadata, the Government has approved a new Umbrella Scheme  'Pradhan  Mantri Annadata  Aay  Sanrakshan Abhiyan(PM-AASHA)'.  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.

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