Lok Sabha Question No. 207 (STARRED), answered on 2021-03-09
Subject: Special Incentives to Farmers for Bumper Crop
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sukhbir Singh Badal

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

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 207

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  9 TH  MARCH, 2021

## SPECIAL INCENTIVES TO FARMERS FOR BUMPER CROP

## *207.   SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  recognizes  that  despite  GDP  growth  touching  new  lows, farmers in the country have ensured record crops even during the pandemic and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has given any special incentives to the farmers for growing the bumper crop during pandemic and saving the nation in the times of crisis and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to give special incentives to the States which have been producing foodgrains for the Central kitty like Punjab and Haryana; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी

(SHRI NARENDRA  SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  207    DUE FOR REPLY ON 9 TH  MARCH, 2021.

- (a): Yes sir. As per the second advance estimate for 2020-21, the country has harvested a record food grain production at 303.34 million tons during 2020-21. The record production of food grains is attributed to increase an area under kharif crops during 2020 at 110.65 million hectare  against  108.90  million  hectare  in  kharif  2019.  Similarly,  the  area  under  Rabi  crop 2020-21 also increased to 64.84 million hectare as compared to 63.99 million hectare during Rabi 2019-20. This also includes area of summer crop which has increase from 5.10 million hectare in 2019-20 to 6.9 million hectare in 2020-21.
- (b): Yes sir. In view of the global pandemic, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued notification for  nation-wide  lockdown  from  23 rd March,  2020.  In  order  to  ensure  timely  and  smooth functioning  of  agriculture  and  allied  sector  activities  during  the  lockdown  period  due  to pandemic Covid-19 on 25 th March, 2020 onwards the government allowed opening of shops for seeds, pesticides, manufacturing and packaging units of seeds, fertilizers & pesticides & procurement under Minimum Support Price Operations. On 27 th March,  2020  Government had allowed farmers and farm workers were allowed to do farming operations in the field, Mandies  were  allowed  to  start  operating  and  procurement  of  agricultural  produce  was started.  Besides, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) had issued the Standard  Operations  procedures(SOPs)  dated  18.04.2020  for  farmers  for  their  safety  and keeping social distancing while undertaking farm related activities. These measures includes sensitization  of  field  functionaries,  facilitate  movement  of  agriculture  labour,  agriculture machinery, tools and implements for harvesting of Rabi/Summer and sowing of Kharif crops besides availability of Custom Hiring Centres(CHCs) machinery and services, Intra and interstate   movement of farm    machines besides opening of Shops of Agriculture Machinery. To

-2- make availability of fertilisers,  authorisation  to  wholesalers  and  retailer  was  extended  by  3 months (whose validity was expiring during Covid time).Special parcel trains were initiated for smooth movement of seeds, fertilizers and horticulture produce. To facilitate farmers during lockdown,  more  than  2,067  agriculture  markets  were  made  functional.  Kisan  Rath  was launched in April, 2020 to facilitate farmers & traders for transport and vehicle movement of Agriculture/Horticulture  produce.  The  government  also  ensured  early  release  of  financial benefits to the farmers under PM-Kisan Scheme. During the period of April-August 2020, Rs. 40,466  Crores  were  released  benefitting  9.36  Crores  farmer  families  under  PM-Kisan Scheme. The Government also ensured adequate credit facility to the farmers, Kisan Credit Card  drive  started  in  February,  2020  was  taken  forward  which  helped  in  issuing  Rs.  1.96 Crore KCCs. Under PMFBY, to the tune of Rs. 8,741.3 Crore were paid to 69.7 lakh farmers during Lockdown period (24.03.2020 to 07.06.2020). To build the confidence of the farmers, Government  declared  Minimum  Support  Price  for  Kharif  &  Rabi  during  2020-21  before sowing  seasons  ensuring  atleast  1.5  times  of  remunerative  price  as  per  the  government policy.

(c) & (d): The  Department  of  Agriculture & Farmers  Welfare  is already providing incentives to all states & UTs for producing food grains under various scheme viz. National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Bringing Green Revaluation in Eastern India(BGREI), a sub scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) & RKVY-RAFTAAR. Further, the states can approve projects  for  providing  incentives  to  the  farmers  under  RKVY  with  the  approval  of State Level Sanctioning Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary of the State. Under      Price     Support  Scheme  (PSS)   during 2019-20, 33.89 lakh tonnes of pulses and

-3- oilseeds were procured at MSP. During current year 2020-21, 32.92 lakh metric tonnes of pulses  and oilseeds have been procured so far and procurement is still continuing. Under National  Food  Security  Act,  2013,the  Government  of  India  procured  38.99  million  ton  of wheat  during  Rabi  Marketing  Season  (RMS)  2020-21  against  34.13  million  tons  procured during 2019-20, which is 4.86 million tons higher. The procurement of wheat from Punjab & Haryana  during  Rabi  Marketing  Season  (RMS)  2020-21  was  12.71  million  tons  and  7.4 million tons respectively. The Government also procured Rice during current kharif marketing season  (KMS)  2020-21  at  45.19  million  tons  upto  8.03.2021  as  against  52  million  tons procured  during  KMS  2019-20.During  pandemic  period  wheat  procurement  centres  were increased from 14,838 to 21,869 in the country for RMS 2020-21. In Punjab & Haryana, the wheat  procurement  centres  during  RMS  2020-21  were  increased  from  2,395  to  5,481,  an increase  of  56%.  Similarly,  during  KMS  2020-21,  the  paddy  procurement  centres  were increased from 2046 to 4233 in Punjab & Haryana.

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