Lok Sabha Question No. 2161 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-14
Subject: Increasing MSP
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: M. K. Raghavan, K. Shanmuga Sundaram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2161

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 14 TH  MARCH, 2023

## INCREASING MSP

2161.   SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN: SHRI SHANMUGA SUNDARAM K.:

Will the Minister of AGRICUL TURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government plans to increase Minimum Support Price (MSP) for copra and if so, the details thereof; (b)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  increase  the  procurement  prices  for  rubber  through rubber board and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Government has noticed that there is a decline in agriculture productivity due to excessive usage of chemical fertilizers and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to promote natural farming; (d) whether any incentives are being provided to farmers for purchase of seeds and other raw materials and if so, the details thereof; (e) whether the Government has observed that coconut yield per hectare has been coming down in Kerala and if so, the steps taken to improve the same; and (f) whether any financial incentives are provided to coconut farmers of Kerala and if so, the

- details regarding the same for Kerala district-wise?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a)  &  (b):  Government  fixes  Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP) for  22  mandated agricultural crops  and  Fair  &  Remunerative  Price  (FRP)  for  sugarcane,  on  the  basis  of  the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) considering

the views of State Governments and Central Ministries/ Departments concerned and other relevant  factors.  Rubber  is  not  amongst  the  mandated  crops  under  MSP.  The  MSP  for milling copra has been fixed at ₹ 10860/- per quintal and for ball copra at ₹ 11750/- per quintal  for  2023  season.  There  is  an  increase  of  ₹270  per  quintal  for  milling  copra  and ₹750/- per quintal for ball copra over the previous season.

(c):    As  per  Second  Advance  Estimates  for  2022-23, total  foodgrain production  in  the country  is  estimated  at 323.55  million  tonnes  which  is  all  time  high.    Similarly,  total horticulture production in the country is estimated at record of 342.33 million tonnes as per 3 rd  Advance Estimate for 2021-22. The record production, being a function of productivity, reflects  pro-active  efforts  and  farmer-friendly  policies  of  government  in  the  agriculture sector. Government is promoting natural farming through a sub-scheme namely Bharatiya Prakritik Paddhati (BPKP) under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yajana (PKVY). Under BPKP, natural farming is being promoted in cluster of 500 hectares and ₹12200 per hectare is provided  for  three  years,  in  which  ₹2000  is  provided  as  incentives  to  farmers  through Direct Benefit Transfer. Farmers are being encouraged to adopt natural farming by wide publicity  through  press  and  print  media,  publication  of  leaflets/booklets,  organisation  of workshops, exhibitions, farmers fairs etc.

(d): Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing Sub-Mission on Seeds &  Planting  Materials  (SMSP)  from  2014-15  to  promote  production  and  multiplication  of quality  seeds.  Under  SMSP,  Seed  Village  Programme  is  implemented  to  upgrade  the quality of farmer's saved seeds. Under the programme, financial assistance for foundation/certified  seeds  at  50%  subsidy  for  cereal  crop  and  60%  subsidy  for  pulses, oilseeds, fodder and green manure crops for production of quality seeds is provided for one acre per farmer.  In addition, financial assistance is also provided for different seeds related  activities  under  other  schemes  viz.  National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM)  and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture & Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) etc.

(e) & (f): To improve the production and yield of coconut in the state of Kerala,  Coconut Development  Board  (CDB)  is  implementing  schemes  such  as  Integrated  Farming  in Coconut  Holdings  For  Productivity  Improvement  and  Replanting  and  Rejuvenation  of Coconut  Gardens.    During  the  year  2021-22,  CDB  has  covered  about  274.29  hectares new area under coconut with financial assistance of ₹16.38 lakh to 993 farmers. Districtwise details are given in Annexure.

District-wise details of financial assistance to the farmers for coconut in Kerala

| S. No.   | District       |   No. of Farmers |   Area (Ha) |   Amount (₹ in lakh) |
|----------|----------------|------------------|-------------|----------------------|
| 1.       | Alappuzha      |               25 |        7.39 |                0.274 |
| 2.       | Ernakulam      |               48 |       17.97 |                0.87  |
| 3.       | Idukki         |               68 |       17.42 |                1.101 |
| 4.       | Kannur         |               84 |       30.51 |                1.86  |
| 5.       | Kasaragod      |               51 |        7.96 |                0.334 |
| 6.       | Kollam         |               18 |        6.14 |                0.209 |
| 7.       | Kottayam       |               25 |       12.42 |                0.62  |
| 8.       | Kozhikode      |              126 |       49.02 |                3.296 |
| 9.       | Malappuram     |               62 |       22.54 |                1.365 |
| 10.      | Palakkad       |               64 |       33.69 |                2.103 |
| 11.      | Pathanamthitta |               15 |        3.79 |                0.179 |
| 12.      | Thissur        |                6 |        2.59 |                0.141 |
| 13.      | Trivandrum     |               15 |        3.97 |                0.134 |
| 14.      | Wayanad        |              386 |       58.88 |                3.887 |
|          | Total          |              993 |      274.29 |               16.373 |

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