Lok Sabha Question No. 282 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-19
Subject: Incentives to Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya, Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 282

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 th  JULY, 2022

## INCENTIVES TO FARMERS

## 282. SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA: SHRI PARBATBHAI SAVABHAI PATEL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERSWELFARE कृ षएवंकसानकयाणमंी be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  various  concessions  and  incentives  provided  to  farmers  for agricultural development particularly during COVID-19;
- (b)  whether  some suggestions have been  received from various sectors regarding the  grant  of  industry  status  to  agriculture  and  any  work  has  been  done  by  the Government in this regard; and
- (c)  the  details  of  the  action  plan  launched  by  the  Government  for  sustainable development of agriculture sector and farmers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERSWELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाणमंी

(SHRI NARENDRA SINGHTOMAR)

- (a) Details of concessions  and  incentives given to  farmers for agricultural developmentduring Covid-19 are given at Annexure.
- (b) Agriculture and industry supplement each other. Government seeks to bestow on  agriculture  sector  as  many  benefits  as  available  to  those  in  the  manufacturing sector such as easy availability of credit and other inputs like quality seeds, fertilizers, electricity,  irrigation,  mechanizationetc  and  creation  of  infrastructure  facilities  for marketing and post-harvest management for development of  the agriculture sector.
- (c) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) is being implemented by the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers'  Welfare  aiming  at  transforming  Indian agriculture into an ecologically sustainable climate resilient production system, while ensuring  food  security,  employment  and  livelihood  opportunities  in  rural  areas.

Technologies  associated  with  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture  are  promoted  through missions/schemes.

Activities/Schemes/Programmes  under  the  mission  are  (i) Rainfed  Area Development (ii)  Soil Health Management  (iii)  Soil Health Card (iv)  Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (v)  Mission Organic Value Chain Development in North Eastern Region (vi) Per Drop More Crop component of Pradhan MantriKrishiSinchayeeYojana    and  (vii)  Restructured  National  Bamboo  Mission.    A scheme  on  Crop  Residue  Management  is  also  being  implemented.The    Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has also launched a flagship network project 'National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture' (NICRA) in 2011. The project is being implemented through different components viz ., strategic research on adaptation  and  mitigation,  demonstration  of  technologies  on  farmers'  fields  in  151 clusters  of  villages  one  each  from  climatically  vulnerable  districts  and  creating awareness among farmers and other stakeholders to minimize the climatic change impacts on agriculture.

## Initiatives taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare during the lockdown

During the lockdown, the agriculture sector had functioned smoothly.  Government of India has taken all necessary measures to ensure smooth operation of agriculture and  its  related  activities.  Farming  and  allied  activities  were  exempted  from  the lockdown.  Various initiatives taken by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare during the lockdown are as follows;

##  EXEMPTION TO AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES FROM LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS

- The Department ensured continuity in farm operations.  The activities related to agriculture such as movement of labour, farm machinery etc. were exempted from the lockdown and agriculture related activities carried on as usual.

##  PRADHAN MANTRI KISAN SAMMAN NIDHI (PM-KISAN)

- Release of the financial benefit under PM-KISAN scheme.
- Rs.1.82 lakh crore has been released to about 11.37 crore farmers so far.

##  AGRICULTURAL MARKETING

- More  than  2,067  markets  were  made  functional  to  facilitate  farmers  during Covid.
- Direct  Marketing  was  facilitated;  FPOs  supplied  vegetables  in  nearby  cities and towns.
- A  'KISAN  RATH  APP'  was  launched  in  April,  2020  to  facilitate  farmers  & traders  for  transport  vehicles  to  enable  movement  of  agriculture  &  horticulture produce.
- 415 e-NAM mandis were made operational during the Covid period to take the total e-NAM mandis in the country to 1000.
- As  far  as  paddy  is  concerned,  in  comparison  to  2019-20  when  there  were 67127 procurement centres, in 2020-21 during Covid 19 the number of procurement centres were increased to 74609.  Similarly, for wheat, the number of procurement centres increased from 14644 to 20163 during the Covid period.

##  HORTICULTURE

- The  Indian  Railways  started  Special  Parcel  Trains  since  31.03.2020  which carried perishable products, agro-products & dairy products across the country.
- India's first Kisan Rail started on 7.08.2020 from Devlali to Danapur and the second Kisan Rail from Anantpur to Adarsh Nagar on 09.09.2020.

##  INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

- Authorization  to  fertilizer  wholesalers  /retailers  was  extended  by  3  months (whose validity expired during theCovidperiod).
- Fertilizer  movement  to  States  was  monitored  to  ensure  smooth  delivery  of fertilizers.

##  SEEDS

- Availability of 153 lakh quintals seed among the farmers was ensured against a requirement of 150 lakh quintals for Kharif 2020.
- Movement of more than 1 crore  packets  of cotton seed in different  parts  of India was ensured.
- More  than  20,000  quintals  of  seed  was  transported  from  Hyderabad  to  the Northern & Eastern regions of India.
- Validity  of  Seed  Dealers  license  that  expired  during  the  lockdown  was extended till Sept, 2020.

##  AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION & TECHNOLOGY

- A "Farm Machinery Mobile App" developed.More than 49,029 Custom Hiring Centers were available and  more than 1,45,839 agricultural machinery was registered for rent on this App.
- A module of Uberisation of logistics aggregatorswas  launched on the  e-NAM platform.  More  than  11.37  lakh  trucks  &  2.3  lakh  transporters  were  linked  to  this module.

##  EXTENSION

- Circulated SOP related to crop harvesting & threshing during Kharif 2020 to States.
- A  short  video  film  on  'Social  Distancing  during  agricultural  activities'  was launched.
- An  All  India  Agri  Transport  Call  Centre  was  launched  in  April,  2020  for coordination between States for inter-state movement of perishables.
- 454 Kisan Call Centers at 21 locations operated between 6 A.M to 10 P.M. Call flow was about 15,000 to 20,000 per day.

##  AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT ABHIYAN (ABA)

The Government of India launched the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (ABA) on May 12, 2020 to strengthen Infrastructure, Logistics, Capacity Building, Governance and Administrative Reforms for Agriculture. The components of the ABA for DA&FW are as follows:

## (i)Agriculture Infrastructure Fund

A Central Sector Scheme of financing facility under Agri Infrastructure Fund was launched. This  scheme is  operational  from  the  year  2020--21  to  2029-30.The aim is creation of infrastructure at the farm gate.

(ii)The National Bee and Honey Mission (NBHM) Rs.500 crore was allocated for the sector for the period from 2020-2021 to 2022-2023

## (iii) Kisan Credit Card

A KCC saturation drive  wasstarted in February, 2020. So far 3.28 crore  new KCC applications have been sanctioned with a sanctioned credit limit of Rs. 3,72,537 crore as part of the drive.

##  Initiatives taken by ICAR

KrishiVigyanKendras (KVKs) across the country made focussed attempts to help the farming community cope with various constraints posed by Covid 19 during day to day farm operations and post-harvest activities. Attempts were made with reference to bringing awareness on Covid appropriate behaviour, implementing field operations and marketing strategies to be deployed for effecting disposal of farm produce.

Advisories on crop and livestock production / protection technologies in 15 different local languages were compiled, uploaded on the  ICAR website and disseminated by KVKs through extensive use of  ICT platforms and social media.

A total of 430 awareness programmes were conducted by KVKs across the country to bring awareness on Covid appropriate behaviour among 79470 farmers during the period under report. Crop (8486) and livestock (3320) related advisories were given by KVKs during the crop seasons for the benefit of 15,04, 400 and 1,96,264 farmers respectively.  A  total  of    560  different  interventions  were  undertaken  by  KVKs  with respect  to  facilitating  marketing  of  farm  produce  amidst  constraints  posed  for transport of commodities during the second wave of Covid 19 benefitting  1,08,815 farmers.  In  addition  to  these  attempts,  KVKs  also  undertook  various  Covid  related interventions like publication of literature , use of Youtube channel and other social media platforms  for  helping  farmers  overcome  restrictions  posed  by  the  pandemic benefitting about 50,000 farmers.

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