Lok Sabha Question No. 2157 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-15
Subject: Functioning of Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Mohammad Jawed

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2157

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 15 TH  MARCH, 2022

## FUNCTIONING OF AGRICULTURE

2157.  DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED :

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

- (a) the number of mandis that procure crops like maize, jute, paddy and wheat in Bihar including Kishanganj and Purnia districts at MSP rate;
- (b) whether  sufficient  infrastructure  and  manpower  to  buy  these  crops  at  the MSP rate is provided to concerned entities;
- (c) the schemes operating under the Ministry in Kishanganj and Purnia for crop damage during a natural calamity like flood, hail storm, cyclone, drought, inter alia and the details of the compensation amount provided for the same in the last three years; and
- (d) the schemes run by the Ministry for farm mechanization support or subsidy in Kishanganj and Purnia districts where a large population of farmers still practice conventional farming and the status of implementation of the same?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

(a) & (b) : In Bihar, procurement of paddy and wheat is done by Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) at panchyat level and Vyapar Mandal at Block level. The  Cooperative  bodies  have  sufficient  infrastructure  and  manpower  for  the purpose of procurement. Further, as per revised guidelines of allocation, distribution  and  disposal  of  coarse  grains  by  the  State  Government,  States  are allowed  to  procure  coarse  grains  (Jowar,  Bajra,  Maize  &  Ragi)  from  farmers  at MSP under central pool subject to the prior approval of Government of India on the detailed  procurement  plan  prepared  by  State  Governments  in  consultation  with FCI.  State  Government  of  Bihar  has  not  sent  any  proposal  for  procurement  of coarse  grains  as  per  extant  guidelines  of  coarse  grains  during  last  three  years. There  are  12  numbers  of  Departmental  Purchase  Centres  (DPCs)  of  Jute Corporation of India (JCI) that procure raw jute and mesta from farmers at MSP in Bihar  including  Kishanganj  &  Purnia  district  of  the  State  and  JCI  has  the infrastructure and manpower for MSP at its procurement centres.

(c) : The State Government is primarily responsible for taking immediate measures in  the  wake  of all  natural calamities. The Government provides assistance to the State Governments through financial and logistic support. The State Governments have ready availability of funds in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for taking  immediate  measures  in  the  wake  of  all  natural  calamities.  Additional assistance over and above SDRF, is considered from National Disaster Response Fund  (NDRF),  for  natural  calamities  of  severe  nature,  in  accordance  with  an established procedure and on submission of a Memorandum for Central assistance by  the  affected  State.  The  State  Government  of  Bihar  has  not  submitted  any Memorandum  seeking  financial  assistance  in  the  wake  of  natural  calamities coordinated  by  this  Department  in  the  last  three  years.  State  Government  is implementing  its  own  assistance  scheme  namely,  Bihar  Rajya  Fasal  Sahayata Yojana in all the districts of the State.

(d)  :  Government  is  implementing  Sub  Mission  on  Agricultural  Mechanization (SMAM) w.e.f April,2014 through States/UTS Governments.The scheme aims  at 'reaching the unreached' by bringing to the  small and marginal farmers and giving the benefits of  farm  mechanization, by Promoting  'Custom  Hiring  Centers', creating  hubs  for  hi-tech  &  high  value  farm  equipments,  distribution  of  various agricultural equipments, creating awareness among stakeholders through demonstration  and  capacity  building  activities,  and  ensuring  performance  testing and  certification  at  designated  testing  centers  located  all  over  the  country.  The Mission objectives are as follows:-

- (i)  Increasing  the  reach  of  farm  mechanization to small  and marginal farmers and to the regions where availability of farm power is low;
- (ii) Promoting 'Custom Hiring Centres'to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small landholding and high cost of individual ownership;
- (iii) Creating hubs for hi-tech& high value farm equipments;
- (iv)  Creating  awareness  among  stakeholders  through  demonstration  and capacity building activities;
- (v) Ensuring performance testing and certification at designated testing centers located all over the country.

## Year-wise funds released under SMAM are given below:

| Year wise Funds released (Rs. in crore)   |   2014-15 |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |
|-------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Year wise Funds released (Rs. in crore)   |    194.87 |     153.1 |    363.63 |    791.04 |   1126.77 |    992.19 |   1026.63 |

## Year-wise funds released to Bihar under SMAM are given below:

| Year wise Funds released (Rs. in crore)   |   2014-15 | 2015-16   |   2016-17 | 2017-18   |   2018-19 | 2019- 20   |   2020-21 |
|-------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|-----------|
| Year wise Funds released (Rs. in crore)   |      9.01 | -         |        14 | -         |        25 | -          |     31.92 |

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