Lok Sabha Question No. 5424 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-05
Subject: Agricultural Cultivation
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Manickam Tagore B

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5424

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 TH  APRIL, 2022

## AGRICULTURAL CULTIVATION

5424. SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B.:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that the area of agricultural cultivation in the country is getting reduced year after year although we may have produced more food grains as compared to previous years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is also true that a vast area of agricultural land is being converted for commercial and other purposes;
- (c)          if so, the present details of such records;
- (d) whether the Government is considering to come out with a legislation to restrict the conversion of farm land into other purposes; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a): As  per  report  on  Land  Use  Statistics  for  2018-19  (latest  available),  agricultural land/ cultivable land in the country for the last ten years are given in Annexure I . Although there has been a marginal decline in the cultivable land during the last ten years, but due to technological advances and various initiatives / schemes of the Government, the production of  foodgrains  has  been  showing  an  increasing  trend.  The  production  of  foodgrains  from 2009-10 to 2021-22 is at Annexure -II .
- (b) to (e): The decline in agricultural land has been mainly due to diversion of land for non-agricultural purposes such as urbanization, roads, industries, housing etc. While there is shift in agricultural land for non agricultural purposes, non-agricultural land is also being brought under agricultural uses.

As  per  the  Seventh  Schedule  of  Constitution  of  India,  land  comes  under  the purview of State Governments and, therefore, it is for them to take suitable steps to tackle the problems of conversion of agricultural land for other purposes. However, Government of  India  supplements  the  all  efforts  of  States,  through  appropriate  policy  measures  and budgetary support.

Under  the  National  Policy  for  Farmers  -  2007  (NPF-2007),  State  Governments have been advised to earmark lands with low biological potential such as uncultivable land, land affected by salinity, acidity, etc., for  non-agricultural  development activities,  including industrial and construction activities. National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy - 2007 (NRRP-2007) has also recommended that as far as possible, projects may be set up on waste  land,  degraded  land  or  un-irrigated  land  and  acquisition  of  irrigated,  multi-cropped agricultural land for non-agricultural uses may be kept to the minimum and avoided, to the extent possible.

## Annexure I

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Un-Starred Q. No. 5424 due for answer on 05/04/2022

Details of Agricultural Land in the country from 2009-10 to 2018-19 (latest available)

(in thousand Hectare)

| Year    |   Agricultural land |
|---------|---------------------|
| 2009-10 |              182179 |
| 2010-11 |              182010 |
| 2011-12 |              181955 |
| 2012-13 |              182086 |
| 2013-14 |              181849 |
| 2014-15 |              181829 |
| 2015-16 |              181603 |
| 2016-17 |              181133 |
| 2017-18 |              181064 |
| 2018-19 |              180888 |

Source:  Directorate  of  Economics  and  Statistics,  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers' Welfare

Annexure II

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Un-starred Q. No. 5424 due for

## answer on 05/04/2022

Details of Agricultural land/ Cultivable Land from the year 2009-10 to 2021-22

(Million Tonnes)

| Year     |   Food Grains |
|----------|---------------|
| 2009-10  |        218.11 |
| 2010-11  |        244.49 |
| 2011-12  |        259.29 |
| 2012-13  |        257.12 |
| 2013-14  |        265.05 |
| 2014-15  |        252.02 |
| 2015-16  |        251.54 |
| 2016-17  |        275.11 |
| 2017-18  |        285.01 |
| 2018-19  |        285.21 |
| 2019-20  |        297.5  |
| 2020-21  |        310.75 |
| 2021-22* |        316.06 |

Note:* As per the Second Advance Estimates of Production of Food Grains for 2021-22 Source:  Directorate  of  Economics  and  Statistics,  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers' Welfare

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