Lok Sabha Question No. 715 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-07
Subject: Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Pradeep Kumar Singh, Geeta Kora, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Riti Pathak, Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARFMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.715

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 07 TH  FEBRUARY, 2023

## AGRICULTURE INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

715.   SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH:

SHRIMATI GEETA KORA:

SHRI PARBATBHAI SAVABHAI PATEL:

SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA:

SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state :

- (a):   whether the Government is providing any incentives to the States to promote Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and to improve agriculture;
- (b):     the various measures taken by the Government to increase agricultural productivity and export, to make the agriculture sector employable and to inspire the new generation to take up farming  in  the  country,  State/UT-wise  particularly  in  Bihar,  Jammu  and  Kashmir,  Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Gujarat during the last three years; and
- (c):     the details of amount of funds being invested in agriculture and the allied sectors under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SISNGH TOMAR)

- (a): Central Government  is providing Grants-in-aid to States to promote  Agriculture Infrastructure  Fund  and  to  improve  agriculture.  Such  fund  is  being  used  by  States  for  the following purposes in spreading awareness among farmers:
1. Cost of setting up State Project Monitoring Units (PMU).
2. Cost of capacity building of State PMU
3. Providing consultation / support to beneficiaries in preparing DPRs
4. Handholding support
5. Creating awareness about the Scheme among public / beneficiaries

(b):      In order to increase Agriculture productivity and export, Various measures were taken by the Government, viz. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) which encourages farmers, agrientrepreneur,  Start-ups,  Farmer  Producers  Organization,  SHGs  etc.  to  adopt  innovation  and farm mechanization in Indian agriculture. Apart from bridging the infrastructure gap in Indian agriculture in a bid to curtail post harvest losses, boosting productivity through facilitating loans from lending institutions for activities like, Organic inputs production, Bio  stimulant production units, Nursery, Tissue culture, Seed Processing etc.

Other activities in the category of Infrastructure for smart and precision agriculture aim at making this sector attractive for the new generation are: Farm/Harvest Automation, setting up of Custom Hiring Centres, Purchase of drones, putting up specialized sensors on field, Block chain and AI in agriculture etc. Introduction of Remote sensing and Internet of Things (IOT) such as automatic weather station, Farm advisory services through GIS applications constitute other such initiatives. AIF also aims at improvising Supply chain services that includes creation of e-marketing platforms.

Some more  measures  to  increase Agriculture  productivity are  making  available  of improved seeds, timely availability/ supply of critical inputs like fertilizers etc, less occurrence of pests/ diseases,  farm  mechanization,  irrigation facilities, weather,  adequate  credit,  and marketing facilities.

The  Government  has  also  taken  various  steps  to  increase  productivity  by  promoting investments in both private and public, in agriculture in the country through various schemes/ programmes such as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Mission for Integrated Development  of  Horticulture  (MIDH),  Agriculture  Infrastructure  Fund,  Drip  Irrigation  System, under  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchai,  Sub  Mission  on  Agricultural  Mechanization  (SMAM), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Rainfed Area Development Programme, formation of Farmer Producer Organization Scheme (FPOs), Interest Subvention Scheme, Micro Irrigation Fund, Custom Hiring Centers, Introduction of Kisan Rail, Start-ups under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana - Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture  and Allied Sectors Rejuvenation (RKVYRAFTAAR) etc.

Further, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers  Welfare,  Government  of  India,  implements  the  following  schemes/programmes to attract  youth  towards  agriculture and  other  related  industries  and  for  the  development  of entrepreneurship: (i) Establishment of Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres (AC&ABC), (ii) Skill training programmes (minimum 200 hours duration) for Rural Youth and Farmers including women farmers, (iii) Skill Training of Rural Youth (STRY), (iv) Certified Farm Advisor/Certified Livestock  Advisor  programme,  (v)  Post  Graduate  Diploma  in  Management  (Agri  Business Management) [PGDM (ABM)], (vi) Venture Capital Assistance scheme through Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC).

In  addition,  The  Government  is  aware  of  the  importance  of Agriculture  Exports for improving  incomes  of  the  Indian  farmers  and  hence  had  introduced  a  comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy in 2018 with the following objectives: -.

- i. To  diversify  our  export  basket,  destinations  and  boost  high-value  and  value-added agricultural exports including focus on perishables.
- ii. To  promote  novel,  indigenous,  organic,  ethnic,  traditional  and  non-traditional  agri products exports.
- iii.  To provide an institutional mechanism for pursuing market access, tackling barriers and deal with sanitary and phytosanitary issues.
- iv.  To  strive  to  double  India's  share  in  world  agri  exports  by  integrating  with  global  value chain at the earliest.
- v. Enable farmers to get benefit of export opportunities in overseas market

The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), an autonomous organisation under the administrative control of Department of Commerce, has the mandate to promote exports of agricultural and processed food products. APEDA has been providing  assistance  to  the  exporters  under  various  components  of  its  Export  Promotion Scheme.  The  Department  of  Commerce  provides  financial  assistance  to  promote  exports, including  exports  of  agricultural  products  through  Market  Access  Initiatives  (MAI)  Scheme, Export  Promotion  Schemes  of  APEDA  and  Marine  Products  Export  Development  Authority (MPEDA) etc.

(c): Loan  of  an  amount  of  Rs  15626  crore  have  been  sanctioned  under  Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to create 21380 no. infrastructure units at an aggregate investment of more than Rs 32000 crore all over the country as on 31.01.2023. The  State/UT  wise  details  are attached as Annexure.

Annexure State-wise loan sanctioned under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) (Amount in Rs. Crore)

| SN   | State/ UT                                    | Total sanctioned   | Total sanctioned   |
|------|----------------------------------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
|      |                                              | No.                | Amount             |
| 1    | Madhya Pradesh                               | 5,126              | 3,951              |
| 2    | Andhra Pradesh                               | 1,875              | 1,969              |
| 3    | Maharashtra                                  | 2,857              | 1,566              |
| 4    | Rajasthan                                    | 1,191              | 1,106              |
| 5    | Telangana                                    | 721                | 832                |
| 6    | Karnataka                                    | 1,502              | 853                |
| 7    | Gujarat                                      | 995                | 846                |
| 8    | Uttar Pradesh                                | 1,373              | 846                |
| 9    | Tamil Nadu                                   | 768                | 639                |
| 10   | Haryana                                      | 693                | 599                |
| 11   | Punjab                                       | 1,081              | 529                |
| 12   | West Bengal                                  | 854                | 380                |
| 13   | Kerala                                       | 496                | 300                |
| 14   | Chhattisgarh                                 | 486                | 367                |
| 15   | Bihar                                        | 278                | 244                |
| 16   | Odisha                                       | 453                | 220                |
| 17   | Assam                                        | 147                | 148                |
| 18   | Uttarakhand                                  | 212                | 108                |
| 19   | Himachal Pradesh                             | 93                 | 40                 |
| 20   | Jharkhand                                    | 81                 | 35                 |
| 21   | Goa                                          | 8                  | 7                  |
| 22   | Delhi                                        | 6                  | 6                  |
| 23   | Jammu and Kashmir                            | 46                 | 17                 |
| 24   | Arunachal Pradesh                            | 2                  | 2                  |
| 25   | Chandigarh                                   | 2                  | 4                  |
| 26   | MEGHALAYA                                    | 1                  | 2                  |
| 27   | Mizoram                                      | 3                  | 2                  |
| 28   | Nagaland                                     | 11                 | 3                  |
| 29   | Sikkim                                       | 11                 | 1                  |
| 32   | The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu | 1                  | 1                  |
| 33   | Andaman And Nicobar Islands                  | 3                  | 0.3                |
| 34   | Manipur                                      | 2                  | 0.4                |
| 35   | Tripura                                      | 1                  | 2                  |
| 36   | Puducherry                                   | 1                  | 1                  |
|      | Grand Total                                  | 21,380             | 15,626             |

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