Lok Sabha Question No. 4269 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Boosting the Farm Productivity
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Aditya Yadav

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4269

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## BOOSTING THE FARM PRODUCTIVITY

4269.   SHRI ADITYA YADAV:

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

- (a) whether  the  farm  sector,  which  employs  nearly  half  the  population,  accounts  for about  16%  of  the  country's  gross  domestic  product  (GDP)  and  has  proved  resilient  to shocks, such as the pandemic, if so, the details thereof; and
- (b) the details of the initiatives taken/proposed to boost the country's farm productivity?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a):       Yes, Sir. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) July 2023 - June 2024,  conducted  by  the  National  Sample  Survey  Office  (NSSO)  under  the  Ministry  of Statistics  and  Programme  Implementation  (MoSPI), 46.1% of  the  workforce  in  India  is employed in the agriculture sector. Further, as per the National Accounts Statistics 2025, this sector contributed approximately 17.8 per cent of the country's GDP for FY 2023-24.
- (b): The Government of India has undertaken several initiatives aimed at enhancing farm  productivity.  The  details  of  select  major  schemes  pertaining  to  enhancement  in agricultural productivity is given as under:

The National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) is implemented in 28 States and 2 Union Territories (UTs) viz. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The objective of NFSNM is to increase production of foodgrains through area expansion and productivity enhancement. Under this Scheme, the incentives are provided to the farmers, through the States/UTs, on crop production and protection technologies, cropping system- based demonstrations,  distribution of certified seeds  of  newly  released  varieties/hybrids, integrated nutrient and pest management techniques, improved farm implements/tools/resource  conservation  machineries,  water  saving  devices,  capacity building of farmers through trainings during cropping season, etc.

The Ministry advises the States and seed producing agencies from time to time to place  the  breeder  seeds  indents  of  newly  released  High  Yielding  Varieties  (HYVs), stress-tolerant  varieties  (drought,  flood  and  salinity)  including  stress  tolerant/  climateresilient /smart varieties (to tackle the challenges of climate changes in a more effective way)  of  different  crops  developed  by  ICAR  Institutes  /State  Agricultural  Universities (SAUs) etc. for further multiplication into foundation and certified seeds, so as to make available  to  the  farmers,  the  required  seeds  of  these  crops  varieties  to  enhance  farm production, productivity and also to help farmers' profitability in the country.

The  Government  of  India  is  promoting  mechanization  with  the  specific  aim  of increasing  the  reach  of  farm  mechanization  to  small  and  marginal  farmers  and  to  the regions where availability of farm power is low. It also aims at promoting 'Custom Hiring Centers' to offset the adverse economies of scale arising due to small land holding and high  cost  of  individual  ownership.  In  this  regard,  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  'SubMission on Agricultural Mechanization' (SMAM) is being implemented through the State Governments.  Under  SMAM,  financial  assistance  is  being  provided  for  purchase  of agricultural  machinery  and  equipments,  including  tractors,  to  the  farmers  on  individual ownership-basis  and  for  establishment  of  Custom  Hiring  Centre  (CHC)/High  Tech Hub/Farm Machinery Bank (FMB).

The  Ministry  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare  is  also  implementing  Centrally Sponsored  Scheme  of  Per  Drop  More  Crop  (PDMC)  from  2015-16  onwards.  PDMC focuses on enhancing water-use efficiency at farm-level through Micro Irrigation viz. Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation Systems. The  Micro Irrigation  helps  in  saving  water  as  well  as reduced  fertilizer  usage  (through  fertigation),  labour  expenses,  other  input  costs  and thereby, creating overall income enhancement of farmers. Further, NITI Aayog conducted an evaluation study on PDMC scheme during the year 2021, which revealed that  productivity  increased  in  the  range  of  9%  to  100%  for  various  crops  in  different States through adoption of micro irrigation.

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