Lok Sabha Question No. 2498 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-09
Subject: Production and Procurement of Crops
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Raju Bista

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2498

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9 TH  MARCH, 2021

## PRODUCTION AND PROCUREMENT OF CROPS

2498.  SHRI RAJU BISTA:

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

- (a) the  details  of  crops  that  are  eligible  to  be  bought  at  Minimum  Support  Price (MSP) in the state of West Bengal;

(b) the total amount of paddy, wheat and maize produced in West Bengal in 2020;

- (c) the  quantities  of  paddy,  wheat  and  maize  produced in the State and bought at MSP by the State Government;
- (d) the percentage of farmers benefited from the various crops being bought at MSP by the State Government with the total number of farmers in the State and total farmers who sold their produce at MSP; and
- (e) the reason why cash crops like cardamom, ginger and oranges that are grown in Darjeeling  and  Kalimpong  hill  region  are  not  included  under  MSP  support  in  West Bengal?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कल् याण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a): Government announces Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 22 mandated crops viz., paddy, jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, arhar, moong, urad, groundnut-in-shell, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, nigerseed, cotton, wheat, barley, gram, masur(lentil), rapeseed/mustard, safflower, jute and copra. In addition, MSP of Toria and de-husked

coconut  are  also  fixed  on  the  basis  of  the  MSPs  of  rapeseed/mustard  and  copra respectively. West Bengal farmers are free to sell their crop at MSP.

(b) to (d): The total quantity of paddy, wheat and maize produced in West Bengal in 2020 and total number of farmers benefitted from the various crops procured at MSP in the state of West Bengal in 2020 is at Annexure-I. The State Govt. has not done this procurement.  Paddy  is  procured  by  Food  Corporation  of  India  (FCI)  and  Jute  is procured by Jute Corporation of India.

(e): Crops  generally  non-perishable  in  nature,  having  mass  consumption,  essential for food security, do not have widely varying cost of production and widely grown having large  area  under  cultivation  are  included  under  MSP.  However,  Market  Intervention Scheme  (MIS)  is implemented  for procurement  of those horticultural/agricultural commodities which are perishable in nature and are not covered under MSP support. The objective of intervention is to protect the growers of these commodities from making distress  sale  in  the  event  of  a  bumper  crop  during  the  peak  arrival  period  when  the prices  tend  to  fall  below  economic  levels  i.e.,  cost  of  production.  This  scheme  is implemented at the request of a State / UT Govt.

## Annexure-I to LS USQ 2498

## The details of production of Paddy, Wheat and Maize in West Bengal

(quantity in '000 tonnes)

| Year              | Paddy        |   Wheat |   Maize |
|-------------------|--------------|---------|---------|
| 2019-20           | 23822.1      |   509.9 |  2007.6 |
| 2020-21(2 nd Adv. | Est.)24155.4 |   660   |  2341.5 |

## Procurement details of Rice in West Bengal

(quantity in Lakh MT)

|   2019-20 |   Farmers benefitted during 2019-20 |   2020-21 |   Farmers benefitted during 2020-21 |
|-----------|-------------------------------------|-----------|-------------------------------------|
|     18.38 |                              805186 |     10.73 |                              549756 |

## Procurement details of Jute in West Bengal

(quantity in quintals)

|   2019-20 |   Farmers benefitted during 2019-20 |   2020-21 |   Farmers benefitted during 2020-21 |
|-----------|-------------------------------------|-----------|-------------------------------------|
|    128000 |                                3744 |      7136 |                                 337 |

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