Lok Sabha Question No. 292 (STARRED), answered on 2023-03-21
Subject: Problems Faced by Cultivators of Paddy Crops
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Anurag Sharma, Ramapati Ram Tripathi

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 292

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 21 st  MARCH, 2023

## PROBLEMS FACED BY CULTIVATORS OF PADDY CROPS

## *292.    SHRI ANURAG SHARMA: DR. RAMAPATI RAM TRIPATHI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान क  याण मंी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware about the problems being faced by the farmers for cultivation of paddy crops; (b) if  so, the details of measures initiated by the Government for mitigating issues of paddy cultivators; (c) the steps taken by the Government for promoting crop diversification in order to produce plants with less consumption of water; and (d) if so, the details of various crop varieties and their impacts?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान क  याण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR) (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 292 FOR 21 ST  MARCH, 2023 REGARDING 'PROBLEMS FACED BY CULTIVATORS OF PADDY CROPS'.

(a) & (b): Government is implementing a number of schemes for the development of farmers, including small farmers. These include, inter alia, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Soil Health Card (SHC), National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), Pradhan Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana  (PMFBY),  Pradhan  Matri  Kisan  Maan-Dhan  Yojana (PMKMY),  National  Food  Security  Mission  (NFSM),  Kisan  Credit  Card  (KCC), Pradhan  Mantri  Annadata  Aay  Sanrakshan  Abhiyan  (PM-AASHA),  Mission  for Integrated  Development  of  Horticulture  (MIDH),  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana (RKVY),  Agricultural  Technology  Management  Agency  (ATMA),  Rainfed  Area Development (RAD) Programme under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Scheme for promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), National Bee Keeping Honey Mission (NBHM), Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) etc.

In order to enhance the production & productivity of foodgrain crops including paddy the Government is implementing National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in all the 28 states and 2 Union Territories. The NFSM-Rice is being implemented in 193 districts of 24 states & Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Under NFSM, assistance is  given  through  state  governments  to  paddy  farmers  for  interventions  including capacity  building  of  farmers.  The  all  India  rice  production  has  increased  from 104.41million tonnes during 2015-16 to 130.84 million tonnes during 2022-23 (as per 2nd Advance estimates), which is a 25% increase in production over 2015-16.

National  Agricultural  Research  System  (NARS)  comprising  of  Institutes  of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and State and Central Agricultural Universities including Indian Agricultural Research Institute (Pusa), New Delhi are involved in development and propagation of new high yielding and biotic/abiotic stress tolerant varieties of field crops including paddy. ICAR has a strong network of All India Coordinated  Research  Projects  (AICRPs)/  AllI  ndia  Network  Projects  (AINPs), coordinated by commodity Institutes, which are operational in the various Central and State  Agricultural  Universities  and  ICAR  Institutes  and  focusing  on  innovative research on developing new varieties seed of field crops. During 2014 to 2022, a total of 496 rice varieties including 8 bio-fortified varieties (rich in zinc/protein) have been released for cultivation in different ago-ecologies of country.

ICAR has eight Regional Committees covering all states and UTs. Scientists of  ICAR  Institutes,  Agricultural  Universities,  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs),  and officers of States Department of Agriculture participate and discuss various problems being faced by the states in the different areas of agriculture including paddy during Regional Committee meetings and programmes are formulated by the Agricultural Universities  and  ICAR  Institutes  for  addressing  these  issues.  Officers  of  State Department of Agriculture give their feedback during Agriculture Officer Workshops about the various technologies developed and demonstrated in the states. All the outcome  of  research  i.e., recommended  varieties,  production  and  protection technologies, seed production and popularization and spread of agricultural technologies are implemented  with  the involvement of State  Department  of Agriculture.

(c) & (d): The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) has been implementing Crop Diversification Programme (CDP), a merged Cafeteria scheme of Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY),  in  Original  Green  Revolution  States  viz; Haryana, Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh since 2013-14 to divert the area of water intensive paddy crop to alternative crops, like pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals, Shree Anna  (millets),  cotton  etc.  Government  of  India  supplements  the  efforts  of  state governments to encourage diversified production of crops such as pulses, coarse cereals, Shree Anna (millets) & cotton under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and  high  value  horticultural  crops  under  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of Horticulture  (MIDH).  Further,  a  pilot  project  called  'Diversification  of  5  million hectares' in five years (2023-24 to 2027-28) in identified 75 districts of 17 states of the country has been approved for implementation by ICAR. In addition, the state government of Haryana is implementing 'Mera Pani Meri Virasat' from 2020-21 for promoting  crop  diversification  under  which  assistance  of  Rs.  7000  per  acre  is provided to farmers. Similarly, state governments of Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana etc., are also encouraging farmers for crop diversification through their state specific diversification schemes.

Government of India also provides  flexibility  to  the  states  for  state  specific needs/priorities  under  RKVY.  The  states  can  promote  crop  diversification  under RKVY with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) headed by Chief Secretary of the respective states.

The  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  through  its  various research institutes across the country is working on developing the varieties suitable for  drought/less  water  conditions.  Rice  growing  methods  such  as  System  of  Rice Intensification (SRI), Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and aerobic systems etc., are in vogue and also research on these areas is being continued. Under SRI, there is a saving of 25-30% water consumption in rice cultivation, sustaining soil health with increased yields.

India has made progress in improving per unit yield of various crops by deploying the  high  yielding  climate  resilient  varieties  through  enhanced  seed  and  varietal replacement rates, which has resulted in increasing the overall productivity level of rice crop by 4.16 times during 2022-23 as compared to 1950-51. The productivity of rice has increased to 2781 kg/ha during 2022-23 from 2400 kg/ha during 2015-16, which is 16% increase. During the last 3 years viz., 2020, 2021 and 2022, a total of 69  less  water  requiring/drought  tolerant  field  crop  varieties  have  been  developed including 17 varieties of rice.

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