Lok Sabha Question No. 2888 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-18
Subject: Promoting Farming as a viable Career Option among Youth
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Vishaldada Prakashbapu Patil

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2888

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 18 TH  MARCH, 2025

## PROMOTING FARMING AS A VIABLE CAREER OPTION AMONG YOUTH

2888.  SHRI VISHALDADA PRAKASHBAPU PATIL:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the constant decline in the number of farmers in the country;
- (b) if so, the details of the decline during the past decade and the key factors for the same;
- (c) the initiatives taken by the Government to promote farming as a viable career option among youth, including programmes in schools and colleges;
- (d) the measures being implemented to increase per farmer income and make agriculture more financially attractive for the younger generation; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  introduced  any  skill  development,  technological advancements, or financial incentives to encourage youth participation in agriculture and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a)  &  (b):  Number  of  operational  holders*/farmers  based  on  three  agriculture  censuses conducted by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare on quinquennial basis, are given as below:
* A  person  who  has  the  responsibility  for  the  operation  of  the  agriculture  holding  for  agricultural production and is operated as one technical unit without regard to the title, legal form, size or location.
- (c) to (e): Agriculture is a State subject and Government of India supports the efforts of States  through  appropriate  policy  measures,  budgetary  allocation  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 Major schemes/programmes initiated by DA&FW to enhance overall income of farmers and remunerative returns in the agriculture sector are as under:
1. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
2. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)
3.  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana  (PMFBY)/  Restructured  Weather  Based  Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)
4. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)
5. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
6. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs)
7. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
8. Namo Drone Didi
9. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
10. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
11. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises' (Agri SURE)
12. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)
13. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
14. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
15. Soil Health & Fertility (SH&F)
16. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
17. Agroforestry
18. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)
19. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
20. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
21. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)
22. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM)
23. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
24. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm
25. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds
26. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region
27. Digital Agriculture Mission
28. National Bamboo Mission

|   S. No. | Agriculture Census   | Number of Operational Holder*/Farmer (in '000)   |
|----------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | 2005-06              | 1,29,222                                         |
|        2 | 2010-11              | 1,38,348                                         |
|        3 | 2015-16              | 1,46,454                                         |

Government has taken various initiatives to promote farming as a viable career option for youth, among which the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) provides need-based vocational training to farmers, farm women and rural adolescents in order to transform their knowledge, skills and attitudes, thereby raising their standard of living. Realizing the significance of rural youth  for  agricultural  growth,  ICAR  has  launched  a  prograrnme  named  "Attracting  and Retaining  Youth  in  Agriculture"  (ARYA).  Under  this  strategy,  special  efforts  are  made  to attract rural youth under the age of 35 to agriculture, thus restricting the rural youth migration to cities.

The  Government  is  implementing  Skill  Training  of  Rural  Youth  (STRY)  with  the objective to impart short term skill training (seven days duration) to rural youths and farmers in agriculture and allied sectors for upgradation of their knowledge and skills and promote wage/self employment in rural areas. The component aims at providing short duration skill based training programs to rural youth including women farmers on agri-based vocational areas for creating a pool of skilled manpower. Recently, the STRY programme has been subsumed under Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) cafeteria.

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