Lok Sabha Question No. 2626 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-02
Subject: Changes in Farmers Lives
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Mitesh Rameshbhai (Bakabhai) Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2626

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2 ND  AUGUST, 2022

## CHANGES IN FARMERS LIVES

2626.  SHRI  MITESH RAMESHBHAI PATEL (BAKABHAI):

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

- (a) the efforts being made by the Government to provide necessary facilities and security to the farmers along with doubling their income; and
- (b) the details of the changes that have taken place in the lives of farmers during the last five years?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b): Government  implements  several  developmental  programmes,  schemes, reforms and policies for the  welfare  of  farmers  by  modernizing  and rationalizing  use  of inputs  so  as  to  decrease  cost,  increasing  crop  production,  remunerative  returns  and income support, which have been able to augment income of farmers directly or indirectly. These include:
- (i) Supplementary income transfers under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme,
- (ii) Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY) for providing old age pension,
- (iii) Crop insurance under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana  (PMFBY),
- (iv) Increase in Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi crops,
- (v) Soil Health Cards for rationalizing use of fertilizers,
- (vi) 'Per drop more crop' initiative through drip/sprinkler irrigation for optimal utilization of water, reducing cost of inputs and increasing productivity,
- (vii) Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) for promoting organic farming,
- (viii) e-NAM initiative for transparent and competitive online trading platform,
- (ix) Agro-forestry through 'Har Modh Par Ped' for additional income,
- (x) National Bamboo Mission to promote bamboo plantation on non-forest government as well as private land and emphasis on value addition, product development and markets,
- (xi) New procurement policy under Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) for ensuring remunerative prices for produce,
- (xii) Bee-keeping under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) to increase productivity of crops through pollination and increase in honey production as an additional source of income,
- (xiii) Ensuring flow of adequate institutional agriculture credit and benefit of interest subvention,
- (xiv) Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) offering production loan to even dairy & fishery farmers besides agricultural crops,
- (xv) Better access to irrigation under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY),
- (xvi)  Formation and promotion of 10,000 FPOs,
- (xvii)  Special attention for creation of infrastructure through Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF) with a size of Rs. 100,000 crore,
- (xviii) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), which aims to evolve and implement strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to the changing climate.
- (xix) Focus on application of digital technology at all stages of agricultural value chain.
- (xx) Adoption of drone technologies in agriculture which has a potential to revolutionize the Indian agriculture, etc.

Since  agriculture  is  a  State  subject,  all  the  above  schemes  /  programmes  are implemented  in  close  coordination  with  the  State  Governments.  Government  supports these  schemes  by providing higher budgetary allocation, non-budgetary financial resources  such as creating  Corpus  Funds  like Micro Irrigation  Fund, Agriculture Infrastructure  Funds,  PM  Matasya  Sampada  Yojana,  Animal  Husbandry  Infrastructure Development Fund and formation of FPOs, Gramin Agriculture Markets etc. Further, due to implementation of these schemes there is record production in foodgrain as well as in horticulture.  Also the country has witnessed emphatic growth in export of agri and allied commodities. All these have been possible due to unprecedented enhancement in budget allocation for agriculture from Rs. 27662.67 crore in 2013-14 to to Rs. 1,32,513.62 crores in 2022-23.  According to current Economic Survey, agriculture and allied sectors grew at a positive growth rate of 3.6 per cent during 2020-21.

In  the  above  connection,  it  is  also  stated  that  the  Ministry  of  Statistics  and Programme  Implementation  [National  Statistical  Office  (NSO)]  conducted  a  Situation Assessment Survey (SAS)  of  Agricultural  Households  during  NSS  70 th round  (January 2013- December 2013) with reference to the agricultural year July 2012- June 2013 and during NSS 77 th round (January 2019- December 2019) with reference to the agricultural year  July  2018-  June  2019  in  the  rural  areas  of  the  country.   From  these  surveys, estimated average monthly income per agricultural household as obtained from NSS 70th round  (2012-13)  and  NSS  77th  round  (2018-19)  were  calculated  as  Rs.6426/-  and Rs.10,218/- respectively.

The  efforts  of  Government  for  positive  implementation  of  these  schemes  are, therefore, yielding good results and the income of the farmers is improving.  As part of the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has released a book, which contains compilation of success stories of 75,000 farmers out of innumerable successful farmers whose incomes have increased more than two times.

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