Lok Sabha Question No. 3904 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-17
Subject: Improvement in Agricultural Infrastructure
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Rita Bahuguna Joshi

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3904

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  17 TH  MARCH, 2020

## IMPROVEMENT IN AGRICULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

3904.  SHRIMATI RITA BAHUGUNA JOSHI:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  suitably  assisted  the  State  Governments  for  bringing improvements in the infrastructural facilities in the agriculture sector;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  undertaken  any  study  for  assessing  the  impact  of initiatives/schemes since 2014 on the income of farmers; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

(a) & (b): Agriculture is a State subject. Government of India supports and facilitates the State Governments through many Centrally Sponsored and Central Sector Schemes to promote agriculture and develop infrastructure facilities in the agriculture sector. Major schemes/programmes being implemented by the Government for developing infrastructural facilities etc in the sector are as follows:

-  The  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana-  Remunerative  Approaches  for  Agriculture  and Allied  Sector  Rejuvenation  (RKVY-RAFTAAR)  is  being  implemented  with  the  broad objectives of making farming a remunerative economic activity through strengthening the  farmer's  effort,  risk  mitigation  and  promoting  agri-business  entrepreneurship. Some  of  the  infrastructure  development  projects  taken  up  are  Strengthening  of Infrastructure facilities - Storage Godown and Threshing Floor, Infrastructure support for  Total  Mixed  Ration  (TMR)/Fodder  Block  units,  Strengthening  of  Marketing Infrastructure in Cooperative Milk Sector, etc.
-  Establishment of Seed Processing- cum- Seed Storage Godowns at Gram Panchayat Level under Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material.
-  Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) includes assistance for development  of  Post  Harvest  Management  (PHM).  Post  Harvest  Management component includes, inter-alia, setting up of cold storages also.  The component is demand/  entrepreneur-driven from among  entrepreneurs,  private  companies, cooperatives, farmers groups etc.

-  Under MIDH, National Horticulture Board (NHB) is implementing a scheme namely Capital  Investment  Subsidy  for  Construction/Expansion/Modernization  of  Cold Storages and Storages for Horticulture Produce. Under the scheme, credit linked back-ended subsidy is provided as per norms.
-  Under National Agriculture Market scheme (e-NAM) Government gives grant as one time fixed cost subject to the ceiling of Rs.30.00 lakhs per mandi (other than to the private mandis) for related equipment / infrastructure in those regulated mandis, for installation of the e-market platform. This assistance is further enhanced from existing Rs.  30  lakh  to  Rs.  75  lakh  i.e  additional  Rs  40.00  lakh  per  mandi  for  creation  of infrastructure  like  cleaning,  grading  and  packaging  facilities  and  Rs  5.00  lakh  per mandi for installation of bio composting unit etc.
-  In  order  to  provide  better  marketing  facilities  to  the  farmers  to  sell  their  produce directly to consumers & bulk purchasers, the Government has approved Agri-Market Infrastructure  Fund  (AMIF)  with  a  corpus  of  Rs.  2000  crore  for  developing  and upgrading  agricultural  marketing  infrastructure  in  existing  Gramin  Haats  and  585 Agriculture  Produce  Market  Committee  (APMC)  Markets.  In  these  villages,  physical infrastructure is strengthened using MNREGA and other government schemes. It is a demand driven scheme and State Governments submit their proposals.
-  Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) provides a suitable platform for  converging all activities for  inclusive  growth of  agricultural mechanization by providing  a 'single  window'  approach  for  implementation  by  Promoting  'Çustom Hiring  Centres'  to  offset  the  adverse  economies  of  scale  arising  due  to  small landholding  and high cost of individual ownership; and Creating hubs for hi-tech & high value farm equipments etc.
-  A special Scheme to support the efforts of the Governments of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi to address air pollution due to stubble burning and to subsidize machinery for the farmers for in-situ management of crop residue, a new Central  Sector  Scheme  on  'Promotion  of  Agricultural  Mechanization  for  In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi (CRM) for the period from 2018-19 to 2019-20.
-  Government  is  implementing  the  INM  &  Organic  Farming  component  under  the National  Mission  for  Sustainable  Agriculture.  Financial  assistance  is  provided  for setting  up  of  mechanized  fruit/  vegetable  market  waste/  agro  waste  compost production units, state of the art liquid/ carrier, bio-fertilizer and organic fertilizer testing laboratory or strengthening of existing laboratory under FCO, etc

(c) & (d): National  Statistical  Office  (NSO)  had  conducted  a  survey  on  Land  and Livestock  Holdings  of  Households  and  Situation  Assessment  of  Agricultural  Households during  NSS  77th  round  (January  -  December  2019)  in  the  rural  areas  of  the  country  with reference to the Agricultural year July 2018- June 2019. The survey has collected details of the ownership and operational holdings of the rural households and situation assessment of agricultural households.

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