Lok Sabha Question No. 1297 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-30
Subject: Farmers Income and Debt
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Smt. Pratima Mondal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1297

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 30th JULY, 2024

## FARMERS INCOME AND DEBT

1297.  SHRIMATI PRATIMA MONDAL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  the  farmer's  income  grown  from  2016  to  2022  in  the  light  of  the Government's promise to double the same;
- b) whether the Government has evaluated the increase in farmers debt during the last ten years; and
- (c) the effect of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the rate of agricultural imports such as tractors and fertilizers?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी

(SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a) to  (c):    Government  had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in April,  2016 to examine  issues  relating  to  'Doubling  of  Farmers  Income  (DFI)'  and  recommend strategies  to  achieve  the  same.    The  Committee  submitted  its  final  report  to  the Government  in  September,  2018  containing  the  recommendations  for  doubling  of farmers'  income  through  various  policies,  reforms  &  programmes.    To  achieve  the objective, the Committee identified following seven sources of income growth: -
- i. Increase in crop productivity
- ii. Increase in livestock productivity
- iii. Resource use efficiency - reduction in cost of production
- iv. Increase in cropping intensity
- v. Diversification to high value agriculture
- vi. Remunerative prices on farmers' produce
- vii. Shift of surplus manpower from farm to non-farm occupations

Agriculture  being  a  State  Subject,  the  State  Governments  take  appropriate measures  for  development  of  agriculture  in  the  State.  However,  Government  of  India supplements the efforts of States through appropriate policy measures, budgetary support and various schemes/ programmes. The various schemes/ programmes of the Government  of  India  are  meant  for  the  welfare  of  farmers  by  increasing  production, remunerative returns and income support to farmers. The Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation of  Ministry  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers Welfare  from  Rs. 27,662.67 crore BE during 2013-14 to Rs. 1,25,035.79 crore BE during 2023-24.

Enhanced budgetary provisions have been made to facilitate the below mentioned efforts of the Government. The various schemes/ programmes of the Government of India are meant for the welfare of farmers by increasing production, remunerative returns and income support to farmers, which include:

1.  Income support to farmers through PM KISAN
2.  Pradhan Mantri Fasal BimaYojana (PMFBY)
3.  Institutional credit for agriculture sector
4.  Fixing  of  Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  at  one-and-a  half  times  the  cost  of production
5.  Promotion of organic farming in the country
6.  Per Drop More Crop
7.  Micro Irrigation Fund
8.  Promotion of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
9.  National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
10.  Agricultural Mechanization
11.  Namo Drone Didi
12.  Providing Soil Health Cards to farmers
13.  Setting up of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) extension Platform
14.  Launch of the National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)
15.  Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
16.  Improvement in farm produce logistics, Introduction of Kisan Rail.
17.  Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) - Cluster Development Programme:
18.  Creation of a Start-up Eco system in agriculture and allied sector

As per National Statistical Office (NSO)  Report 'Situation Assessment  of Agricultural  Households  and  Land  and  Holdings  of  Households  in  Rural  India,  2019', average amount of outstanding loan per agricultural household is Rs. 74,121/-.

GST exemptions and rates are prescribed on the recommendations of the GST Council, which is a constitutional body comprising of representatives from States/UTs and Centre, taking into account all the relevant factors. Presently, Tractors attract a GST rate of 12% and Fertilizers attract a GST rate of 5%.

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