Lok Sabha Question No. 5455 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-05
Subject: Doubling Farmers’ Income
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: S. Muniswamy, Annasaheb Shankar Jolle

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5455

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 TH  APRIL, 2022

## DOUBLING FARMERS' INCOME

5455.  SHRI S. MUNISWAMY SHRI ANNASAHEB SHANKAR JOLLE

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  ever  considered  using  the  expertise  of  the  empowered committee on Doubling Farmers' Income (DFI) for upgrading a few old practices of fertilizers usage and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether there is a need to seek advice from the DFI committee for a better use of NPK combination and other matters regarding the use of synthetic fertilizers by our less-informed farmers; and
- (c) whether the Government foresees a better future for the farming community to seek the DFI  committee's  help  for  important  challenges  of  the  Ministry  like  the  possible  reduced imports  and  lack  of  domestic  production  and  a  host  of  other  factors  and  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष और कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a)to (c): The Government consulted an Inter-ministerial Committee in April, 2016 to examine issues relating to 'Doubling farmers Income' and recommend strategies to achieve the same. The  Committee  submitted  its  report  to  the  Government  in  September,  2018  containing  the strategy  for  doubling  of  farmers'  income  by  the  year  2022.  The  Committee  on  Doubling Farmers'  Income  (DFI)  recognizes  agriculture  as  a  value  led  enterprise  and  has  identified seven major sources of growth viz., (i) Increase in crop productivity; (II) Increase in livestock productivity; (III) Resource use efficiency or savings in the cost of production; (IV) Increase in the cropping intensity; (V) Diversification towards high value crops; (VI) improvement in real prices  received  by  farmers;  and  (VII)  Shift  from  farm  to  non-farm  occupations.  After acceptance  of  the  DFI  Committee  recommendations,  the  Government  has  consulted  an Émpowered Body' to review and monitor the progress.

The Government of India is recommending soil test based balanced and integrated nutrient management  through  conjunctive  use  of  both  inorganic  and  organic  sources  (manure, biofertilizers  green  manuring,  in-situ  crop  residue  recycling  etc.)  of  plant  nutrients  with  4Rs approach i.e right quantity, right time, right mode and right type of fertilizer for judicious use of chemical fertilizers and to reduce use of chemical fertilizers. In addition, split application, use of slow releasing fertilizers including  neem coated urea and growing  leguminous crops are also advocated and use of Resource Conservation Technologies (RCTs) are also advocated. INM  is  being  promoted  through  implementation  of  Soil  Health  Card  (SHC)  scheme  since 2015.  Soil  health  card  provides  nutrient  status  of  the  soil  along  with  prescription  about balanced and integrated use of inorganic and organic fertilizers to maintain good soil health that results in increase in production. Demonstrations about balanced use of fertilizers based on soil health card recommendations and training to the farmers on proper and integrated use of  fertilizers  are  integral  part  of  the  scheme.    Financial  assistance  is  provided  to  State governments for   training of farmers, demonstrations on farmer fields and organizing farmer melas.  The  steps  are  being  taken  to  improve  the  quality  of  soil  under  National  Project  on Management of Soil Health & Fertility are given below:

- i. Government has been implementing Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme under National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertility since 2015 to provide soil test based fertilizer use  recommendations  periodically  to  the  farmers  in  the  country.   Soil  health  card  provides nutrient  status  of  the  soil  along  with  prescription  about  balanced  and  integrated  use  of inorganic and organic fertilizers to maintain good soil health.
- ii. Demonstrations about balanced use of fertilizers based on soil health card recommendations and training to the farmers on proper and integrated use of fertilizers are integral  part  of  the  scheme.   Financial  assistance  is  provided  to  State  governments  for training of farmers, demonstrations on farmer fields and organizing farmer melas.
- iii. Since  2015,  around  6.45  lakh  demonstrations,  93781  farmer's  trainings  and  7425 farmers melas are organized/conducted under the programme.
- iv. Under Soil Health Management scheme financial assistance to states is provided for promotion  of  micro-nutrients  @  Rs  500  per  hectare.  Since  2015,  financial  assistance  for promotion of micro-nutrients to 10.29 lakh hectare has been provided to states.
- v. The Government of India assesses the requirement of fertilizers before each cropping season  i.  e  Kharif  and  Rabi  during  the  Zonal  Conference  on  Agricultural  Inputs.  The Department of Fertilizers on that basis issues the supply plan and ensure the availability of fertilizers through domestic production and imports

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