Lok Sabha Question No. 1517 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-12
Subject: Condition of Paddy Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE, BANSHILAL MAHTO, LAKHAN LAL SAHU

O.I.H

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1517

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 12 TH   FEBRUARY, 2019

## CONDITION OF PADDY FARMERS

1517.    SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO  NETE: DR. BANSHILAL MAHATO: SHRI LAKHAN LAL SAHU:

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

- (a) whether  the  condition  of  paddy farmers is becoming extremely pitiable in the country;
- (b) if so, whether the Government has taken any steps or proposes to take steps to  bring improvement  in  the  financial condition of paddy farmers;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  paddy  farmers  in  various  States  of  the country  are  not  getting  appropriate/ remunerative  prices  for there  produce, if so,  the  details thereof  and  the  reasons therefor;
- (e) whether   the    Chhattisgarh  Government   has   recently    announced   to increase   the support  price  of  paddy  to Rs.2500  per  quintal,  if  so,  the  details thereof  along  with  the reaction  thereto; and
- (f) the steps taken by the Government to  ensure  that  paddy  farmers  get remunerative prices for their produce?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) to (f): No, Madam, for increasing the production and productivity of rice in the country, the  Government  has  been  implementing  National  Food  Security  Mission-Rice  (NFSM-Rice) programme. The objectives of the programme is to increase the production of rice through area expansion and productivity enhancement in a sustainable manner in the identified districts of the  country,  restoring  soil  fertility  and  productivity  at  the  individual  farm  level;  and  enhancing farm level economy (i.e. farm profits) to restore confidence amongst the farmers. At present, the NFSM-Rice programme is being implemented in 194 identified districts of 25 States including Chhattisgarh. The 13 districts of Chhattisgarh are covered under NFSM-Rice pgrogramme.

The  Government  has  increased  the  Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  of  Paddy  during 2018-19 compared to 2014-15, the percent increase in MSP of  paddy is as under;

|   S.No. | Paddy Variety   |   2014-15 |   2018-19 |   Percent increase (%) |
|---------|-----------------|-----------|-----------|------------------------|
|       1 | Common          |      1360 |      1750 |                     29 |
|       2 | Grade 'A'       |      1400 |      1770 |                     26 |

The Chhattisgarh Government has announced to procure paddy @ Rs. 2500/- per quintal for  kharif  2018  season.  The  Chhattisgarh  Government has  given bonus  above  MSP @ Rs. 750/-  per  quintal  on  'Common  Paddy'  and  Rs.  730/-  per  quintal  on  'Paddy  Grade  A'  and procured 8.097 million tonne of paddy @ 15 quintal per hectare.

Under  NFSM-Rice programme, in all the identified districts of the country including 13 districts  of  Chhattisgarh  state,  latest  crop  production  and  protection  technologies  are  being promoted  through  Front  Line  Demonstrations/  Cluster  Front  Line  Demonstrations/  cropping system based demonstrations at farmers field. Stress tolerant/climate resilient varieties & biofortified  varieties  of  paddy  are  being  promoted  in  the  country.  Focus  is  also  given  on  newly released  varieties/  hybrids,  INM  &  IPM  techniques,  promotion  of  water  saving  devices  for efficient utilization of water, improved farm implements/tools for cultural operations and capacity building  of  farmers.  Under  capacity  building  of  farmers,  the  trainings  on  crop  production techniques and awareness is given under NFSM-Rice programme.

In addition, the Government is also implementing 'Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India  (BGREI)' programme  to  address  the  constraints  limiting  the  productivity  of 'rice  based cropping  systems' in  Eastern  India  comprising  seven  (7)  States  namely,  Assam,  Bihar, Chhattisgarh,  Jharkhand,  Odisha,  Eastern  Uttar  Pradesh  and  West  Bengal.  The  goal  of  the BGREI program is to harness the water potential for enhancing rice production in Eastern India which  was  hitherto  underutilized.  Various  interventions  are  being  promoted  to  increase  the production  and  productivity  of  rice  in  the  identified  states  and  to  enhance  the  income  of  the farmers.

********