Lok Sabha Question No. 3356 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-21
Subject: Efforts to Boost Interest in Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Vivek Narayan Shejwalkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3356

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 21 st   MARCH, 2023

## EFFORTS TO BOOST INTEREST IN FARMING

3356.  SHRI VIVEK NARAYAN SHEJWALKAR:

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

- (a) whether any survey is being conducted by the Government to know the reasons due to which several farmers in the country are gradually drifting away from agriculture as a profession and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is making any effort to boost the morale of such farmers and keep their interests intact in farming profession; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a)  to  (c):        The  percentage  of  workers  in  the  usual  status  engaged  in agriculture and allied  sector  as  per  Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  2021-22  released  by  the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) are as under:

| Year    |   Distribution of workers in the usual status engaged in agriculture and allied sector(%) |
|---------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2019-20 |                                                                                     45.56 |
| 2020-21 |                                                                                     46.46 |
| 2021-22 |                                                                                     45.46 |

Further, Government has taken several policies, reforms, developmental programmes  and  schemes  for  making  agriculture  more  profitable  profession.  These include:

O.I.H.

(i) Supplementary income transfers under  PM-KISAN of  Rs  6000 per year  in  three equal instalments. (ii) Increase in Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi crops ensuring a minimum of 50 percent of profit margin on the cost of production, (iii) Crop insurance under Pradhan Mantri FasalBimaYojna (PMFBY), (iv) Better access to irrigation under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), (v) Special  attention  for  creation  of  infrastructure  through  Agri  Infrastructure  Fund (AIF) with a size of Rs. 100,000 crore, (vi) New procurement policy under PM-AASHA in addition to FCI operations, (vii) Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) offering production loan to even dairy & fishery farmers besides agricultural crops, (viii) Formation and promotion of 10,000 FPOs, (ix) National  Mission  for  Sustainable  Agriculture  (NMSA),  which  aims  to  evolve  and implement strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to the changing climate. (x) Adoption of drone technologies in agriculture which has a potential to revolutionize the Indian agriculture. (xi) Benefits accruing under Bee-Keeping, Rashtriya Gokul Mission, Blue Revolution, Interest Subvention Scheme, agro-forestry, restructured bamboo mission, implementation of new generation watershed guidelines, etc (xii) Focus on application of digital technology at all stages of agricultural value chain. (xiii) Supply of fertilizer to farmer at subsidized price so as to reduce input cost.

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