Lok Sabha Question No. 2545 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-19
Subject: Report on Farmers’ Income
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2545

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19 TH  DECEMBER, 2023

## REPORT ON FARMERS' INCOME

2545.

SHRIMATI HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL: SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL:

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

- (a) whether the Parliamentary Panel on Agriculture in its Report released in March 2023 have revealed that the Government is far from its 2022 goal of Doubling the Farmers' Income;
- (b) whether the Panel have revealed that farm incomes have risen by a mere Rs. 2000/- that is the reason of a record number i.e. 10881 suicide deaths of farmers;

(c) whether the Government has taken notice of this Report and initiated or proposes to initiate any action in this regard, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

- (d) whether the Government proposes to give any immediate relief to farmers like waiver of loans etc.; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी (SHRI ARJUN MUNDA)

- (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

In  the  Fiscal  year  2013-14,  when  the  Ministry  of  Cooperation,  Department  of  Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and Department of Fisheries were integral parts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the total budget allocation was a mere Rs. 30,223.88 crore. Despite  the  subsequent  separation  of  these  ministries/  departments,  the  total  budget allocation  for  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers Welfare  has  witnessed  a  substantial increase, reaching Rs.1,25,035.79 crore (Rs. 1,15,531.79 crore for DA&FW and Rs. 9,504 crore for DARE) in the financial year 2023-24.

Government  has  adopted  and  implemented  several  policies,  reforms,  developmental programmes and schemes for achieving higher incomes for the farmers directly or indirectly. The unprecedented enhanced budgetary provisions have been made to facilitate the following efforts of the Government: -

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. Providing Soil Health Cards to farmers
12. Setting up of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) extension Platform
13. Launch of the National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil Palm
14. Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
15. Improvement in farm produce logistics, Introduction of Kisan Rail.
16. Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of  Horticulture ( MIDH)  -  Cluster  Development Programme:
17. Creation of a Start-up Eco system in agriculture and allied sector
18. Achievement in Export of Agri and Allied Agri- Commodities

Implementation of these schemes has yielded remarkable results towards augmenting the income of the farmers. As part of the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', Indian Council of Agricultural Research  (ICAR)  has  released  a  book,  which  contains  compilation  of  success  stories  of 75,000 farmers out of innumerable successful farmers who have increased their income more than two times.

(d) & (e): There is  no  proposal  under  consideration  in  the  Ministry  for  waiver  of  farm loans.

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