Lok Sabha Question No. 1164 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-27
Subject: Incentives to the Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Harsimrat Kaur Badal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1164

## TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 27 TH  JULY, 2021

## INCENTIVES TO THE FARMERS

1164. SHRIMATI HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  recognize  that  despite  Gross  Domestic  Product  (GDP) growth touching new lows, farmers have ensured a record crops production even during the pandemic;
- (b) whether  the  Government  have  given  any  special  incentives  to  the  farmers  for growing the bumper crop during pandemic and saving the nation in the times of crisis ?
- (c) whether  the  Government  plan to  give special incentives to  the State  which have been producing record food grains particularly in Punjab and Haryana; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons thereof ?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a): As per the third advance estimate for 2020-21, the country has achieved a record food grain production at 305.44 million tons during 2020-21.

(b): In view of the global pandemic, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued notification for nation-wide  lockdown  from  23rd  March,  2020.  In  order  to  ensure  timely  and  smooth functioning  of  agriculture  and  allied  sector  activities  during  the  lockdown  period  on  25th March,  2020  onwards  the  government  allowed  opening  of  shops  for  seeds,  pesticides, manufacturing and packaging units of seeds, fertilizers & pesticides & procurement under Minimum Support Price Operations. On 27th March, 2020 Government had allowed farmers and  farm  workers  to  do  farming  operations  in  the  field,  mandis  were  allowed  to  start operating  and  procurement  of  agricultural  produce.  Besides,  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) had issued the Standard Operations procedures(SOPs) dated 18.04.2020 for farmers for their safety and keeping social distancing while undertaking farm related  activities.  These  measures  included  sensitization  of  field  functionaries,  facilitate movement of agriculture labour, agriculture machinery, tools and implements for harvesting of  Rabi/Summer and sowing of Kharif crops besides availability of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) machinery and services, Intra and interstate movement of farm machines besides opening of Shops of Agriculture Machinery. To make availability of fertilisers, authorisation to wholesalers and retailer was extended by 3 months (whose validity was expiring during COVID time).Special parcel trains were initiated for smooth movement of seeds, fertilizers and horticulture produce. To facilitate farmers during lockdown, more than 2,067 agriculture markets were made functional. Kisan Rath was launched in April, 2020 to facilitate farmers &  traders  for  transport  of  Agriculture/Horticulture  produce.  The  government  also  ensured early release of financial benefits to the farmers under PM-Kisan Scheme. During the period of  April-August  2020,  Rs.  40,466  Crores  were  released  benefitting  9.36  Crores  farmer families under PM-Kisan Scheme. The Government also ensured adequate credit facility to the  farmers,  Kisan  Credit  Card  drive  started  in  February,  2020  was  taken  forward  which helped in  issuing  Rs.  1.96  Crore  KCCs.  Under  PMFBY,  to  the  tune  of  Rs.  8,741.3  Crore were  paid  to  69.7  lakh  farmers  during  Lockdown  period  (24.03.2020  to  07.06.2020).    To build the confidence of the farmers, Government declared Minimum Support Price for Kharif & Rabi during 2020-21 before sowing seasons ensuring atleast 1.5 times of remunerative price  as  per  the  government  policy.  The  number  of  procurement  centres  for  pulses  and oilseeds has increased from 3,731 in 2019-20 to 4678 in 2020-21. During the period 201920 to 2020-21, the number of procurement centres for wheat and paddy has increased from 14,644  to  20,163  and  67,127  to  74,609  respectively.  Additional  415  mandis  have  been integrated with e-NAM platform during Covid-19 period making a total of 1000 mandis for facilitating farmers for selling their agriculture produce.

(c) & (d): The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is already providing incentives to  all  states  &  UTs  for  producing  food  grains  under  various  scheme  viz.  National  Food

Security  Mission  (NFSM),  Bringing  Green  Revaluation  in  Eastern  India(BGREI),  a  sub scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) & RKVY-RAFTAAR. Further, the states can approve projects for providing incentives to  the farmers under RKVY with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary of the State. Under  Price  Support  Scheme  (PSS)  during  2019-20,  33.89  lakh  tonnes  of  pulses  and oilseeds were procured at MSP. During current year 2020-21, 32.92 lakh metric tonnes of pulses  and  oilseeds  have  been  procured.  Under  National  Food  Security  Act,  2013,  the Government  of  India  procured  43.33  million  ton  of  wheat  during  Rabi  Marketing  Season (RMS) in 2021-22( till 20 th july,  2021) against 38.99 million tons procured during 2020-21. The procurement of wheat from Punjab & Haryana during Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2021-22 was 13.21 million tons and 8.49 million tons, respectively. The Government also procured Rice during current kharif marketing season (KMS) 2021-22 at 58.4 million tons (till 20 th july,  2021)  as  against  52  million  tons  procured  during  KMS  2019-20.  In  Punjab  & Haryana, during Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) the procurement of rice was 13.59 million tons and 3.79 million tons, respectively.

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