Lok Sabha Question No. 3547 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-10
Subject: Workforce Reduction in Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Margani Bharat

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3547

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10 TH  AUGUST, 2021

## WORKFORCE REDUCTION IN AGRICULTURE

3547. SHRI MARGANI BHARAT:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the report on 'Women and Men in India, 2020' of Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation which indicates that the share of workforce (men) in agriculture has  come down  by nearly 20% and women by more than 10% between 1990 and 2019;
- (b) whether it is also true that there is gradual shift from agriculture to other areas; and
- (c) if  so,  whether the Government has made any assessment about the impact on agriculture and food security of the country in the coming decades?

## ANSWER

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

(a) and (b): As  per  the  Report  on  'Women  and  Men  in  India,  2020'  of  Ministry  of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) , the share of workforce of men and women in agriculture has declined in both the rural and urban areas during the period 1987-88 to 2019-20. The country has witnessed relatively much faster rate of growth in sectors  other  than  agriculture  on  account  of  structural  changes  due  to  a  shift  from  a traditional agrarian economy to industry and service dominated one.  This phenomenon is  generally  expected  in  the  normal  development  process  of  developing  economies including  India.  The  percentage  distribution  of  workers  in  agriculture  in  usual  status (ps+ss)  for the period 1987-88 to 2019-2020 are given below:

(in percentage)

| Year                   | Rural   | Rural   | Urban   | Urban   |
|------------------------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
|                        | Male    | Female  | Male    | Female  |
| 1987-88 (43 rd Round)  | 74.5    | 84.7    | 9.1     | 29.4    |
| 1993-94 (50 th Round)  | 74.1    | 86.2    | 9.0     | 24.7    |
| 1999-00 (55 th Round)  | 71.4    | 85.4    | 6.6     | 17.7    |
| 2004-05 (61 st Round)  | 66.5    | 83.3    | 6.1     | 18.1    |
| 2009-10 (66 th Round)  | 62.8    | 79.4    | 6.0     | 13.9    |
| 2011-12 ( 68 th Round) | 59.4    | 74.9    | 5.6     | 10.9    |
| 2017-18 (PLFS)         | 55.0    | 73.2    | 5.4     | 9.1     |
| 2018-19 (PLFS)         | 53.2    | 71.1    | 4.9     | 7.8     |
| 2019-20 (PLFS)         | 55.4    | 75.7    | 5.0     | 8.2     |

Source : Social Statistics Division, MoSPI

Note:  Period  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS),  usual  status  worker  (ps+ss):  The workers in the usual status (ps+ss) are obtained by considering the usual principal status (ps) and the subsidiary status (ss) together.

(c):            As  per    NITI  Aayog's Working  Group  Report (February,  2018) on Demand & Supply Projections towards 2033 for Crops, Livestock, Fisheries and Agricultural Inputs, the aggregate demand of foodgrains for 2021-22,  2028-29 and 2029-30 is projected at 280.03 million  tonnes,  314.37  million  tonnes  and  319.81  million  tonnes    respectively. The aggregate supply of foodgrains for 2021-22, 2028-29 and 2029-30 is projected at 303.97  million  tonnes,  353.17  million  tonnes  and  361.06  million  tonnes  respectively. Planning  for  food  security  and  management  of  grain  supply  in  the  immediate  future depends on the empirical prediction of demand and supply of foodgrains.

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