Lok Sabha Question No. 2709 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-02
Subject: Income of Small and Medium Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Rodmal Nagar

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2709 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2 ND  AUGUST, 2022

## INCOME OF SMALL AND MEDIUM FARMERS

2709.  SHRI RODMAL NAGAR:

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

- (a) whether the Government has sought options to increase the income of small and medium farmers;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  take  measures  in  this  regard  to  provide marketing facilities to such farmers; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

(SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री

(a) to (d): Government had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in April, 2016 to examine issues relating to 'Doubling of Farmers Income (DFI)' and recommend strategies to  achieve  the  same.    The  Committee  submitted  their  final  report  to  the  Government  in September, 2018 containing the strategy for doubling of farmers' income through various policies, reforms & programmes.

In line with the strategy of Government for increasing farmers' income, as suggested by the  DFI  Committee, several developmental programmes, schemes, reforms and policies are  implemented by Government, which have been able to augment income of farmers directly or indirectly. These schemes/programmes are implemented in close coordination with the State Governments. These include:

- (i)  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,
- (ii) Supplementary income transfers under PM-KISAN,
- (iii) Crop insurance under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna  (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.

Further, Government launched the Central Sector Scheme for 'Formation and Promotion of  10,000  Farmer  Producer  Organizations  (FPOs)'  in  the  year  2020,  with  a  total budgetary  outlay  of  Rs.6865  Crores.  The  scheme  leverages  economies  of  scale, reduction of cost of production and enhances farmers' incomes thus playing a major role towards increasing the income of farmers.

The Government  implements National Agriculture Market  (e-NAM)  Scheme  which promotes better  marketing  opportunities  for  the  farmers  through  e-NAM  platform  to  sell their produce through online at remunerative prices through competitive and transparent price discovery system and online payment facility.

*****