Lok Sabha Question No. 4322 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Special Agricultural Indices
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Daroga Prasad Saroj

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4322 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19 TH  AUGUST, 2025 SPECIAL AGRICULTURAL INDICES

4322. SHRI. DAROGA PRASAD SAROJ:

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

- (a) the percentage of rural families depending on agriculture for their livelihood in the country;
- (b) whether the Government is considering focusing on special agricultural indices, if this  percentage  is  more  than  70%  so  as  to  increase  the  agricultural  productivity  and income of the farmers, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the Government  has  adopted  multi  pronged  strategy  to  develop agriculture  and  rural  scenario  indices  to  track  the  progress  of  the  existing  schemes, particularly in Uttar Pradesh;
- (d) whether the Government has evaluated major programmes, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, to make changes wherever necessary, and
- (e) if so, the outcome thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  &  (b):  As  per  the  latest  Situation  Assessment  Survey  (SAS)  of  Agricultural Households, conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) during the 77th round of NSS (January 2019 - December 2019), approximately 54% of rural households in India were  dependent  on  agriculture  (including  cultivation  and  livestock)  as  their  principal source of income during the agricultural year July 2018 - June 2019.

The Government monitors the agriculture sector in country through several metrics such as Gross Value Added and Gross Capital formation in agriculture, productivity of various crops, area sown, cropping intensity, area under irrigation, insurance penetration, credit flow to agriculture sector, the degree of mechanization and technology in farming practices, etc.

Agriculture being a State Subject, the State Government take appropriate measures for development of agriculture and welfare of farmers in the States. However, Government of  India  is  committed  to  enhance  the  welfare  of  farmers  and  making  agriculture  more remunerative. Government of India supplements the efforts of States through appropriate policy measures and budgetary support and various schemes/ programmes. Government has adopted and implemented several policies, reforms, developmental programmes and schemes for achieving higher incomes for the farmers directly or indirectly and making it a profitable business. The Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare(DA&FW) from Rs. 21933.50 crore BE during 2013-14 to Rs. 1,27,290.16 crore BE during 2025-26.  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. These schemes encompass entire spectrum  of  agriculture  including  credit,  insurance,  income  support,  infrastructure,  crops including horticulture, seeds, mechanization, marketing, organic and natural farming, farmer collectives, irrigation, extension, procurement of crops from farmers at minimum support prices,  digital  agriculture  etc.  Additionally,  Government  had  increased  MSPs  for  all mandated Kharif, Rabi and other Commercial crops with a minimum return of 50 percent over all India weighted average cost of production from 2018-19 onwards. List of Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes being implemented by Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is given at Annexure .

Due  to  the  successful  implementation  of  various  government  programmes  and schemes, the Gross Cropped Area in the country has expanded significantly, rising from 201.3  million  hectares  in  2013-14  to  217.8  million  hectares  in  2023-24.  The  adoption  of modern  technologies  and  effective  policy  interventions  has  also  led  to  a  continuous improvement in cropping intensity, which has risen from 142.5% in 2013-14 to 156.8% in 2023-24, reflecting a positive shift toward multiple cropping practices, highlighting farmers' enhanced ability to cultivate the same land more than once annually. Furthermore, as per the third advance estimates for 2024-25, foodgrain production is estimated at 353.96 million tonnes,  and  horticulture  production,  as  per  the  second  advance  estimates,  is  placed  at 367.72 million tonnes.

(c) to (e): The review and monitoring of various schemes is a continuous process. Major schemes are regularly monitored and evaluated through independent agencies/ institutes and revamped on the basis of the feedback. An evaluation of centrally sponsored schemes in Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries sectors was conducted by the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog in 2020. The report found that the centrally sponsored schemes implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare  highly  relevant  for  the  development  of  agriculture  sector  as  well  as  welfare  of farmers and therefore, recommended for its continuation. In addition, NITI Aayog monitors the  progress  of  various  schemes  under  the  Output-Outcome  Management  Framework (OOMF) of the Government of India. The Framework endeavours to provide measurable indicators  for  achievement  of  scheme  objectives,  or  the  'Outcomes',  actively  tracking progress against defined targets. Furthermore, mechanisms such as Quarterly Progress Report  (QPR),  Field  Inspection  and  Periodic  Reviews  are  also  undertaken  to  track  the progress and review the performance of various schemes.

## Annexure STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  to  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4322 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19/08/2025 REGARDING 'SPECIAL

## AGRICULTURAL INDICES'.

Major  schemes/programmes  meant  for  the  welfare  of  farmers  by  increasing production, remunerative returns and income support to the farmers:

1. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)
2. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm
3. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds
4. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
5. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
6. Soil Health & Fertility (SH&F)
7. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
8. Agroforestry
9. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)
10. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
11. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
12. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
13. National Bamboo Mission
14. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
15. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region
16. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)
17. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM)
18. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
19. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)
20. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)/ Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)
21. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
22. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)
23. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
24. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs)
25. Namo Drone Didi
26. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises (AgriSURE)
27. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
28. Digital Agriculture Mission

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