Lok Sabha Question No. 2318 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-10
Subject: Fair and Timely Payments to Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Smt. Pratima Mondal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2318

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## FAIR AND TIMELY PAYMENTS TO FARMERS

## 2318.  SMT. PRATIMA MONDAL:

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

- (a) whether the Government acknowledges the persistent failure to ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops like rice, soyabean, and cotton in Maharashtra, and the steps being taken to address this issue effectively;
- (b) whether the Government has implemented any farm loan waiver schemes during the last eleven years, while reportedly waiving off significant loans for large industrialists, and the manner in which this aligns with the goal of farmer welfare, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c)  the  details  of  measures  being  planned  to  ensure  fair  and  timely  payment  to  farmers, especially for crops that have witnessed price volatility and underpayment; and
- (d)  whether  the  Ministry  has  any  plans  to  create  a  robust  price  assurance  mechanism to safeguard farmers' incomes and prevent distress sales of crops like soyabean and cotton?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a) to (d): Every  year,  Government  fixes  Minimum  Support  Prices  (MSPs)  for  22 mandated agricultural crops including Paddy, Soyabean and Cotton for the country as a whole and not region or state-specific, based on the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs  &  Prices  (CACP),  after  considering  the  views  of  State  Governments  and  Central Ministries/Departments concerned.

The  Union  Budget  for  2018-19  had  announced  the  pre-determined  principle  to  keep Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  at  levels  of  one  and  half  times  of  the  cost  of  production. Accordingly,  Government  had  increased  MSP  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 year 2018-19 onwards to ensure remunerative price to farmers.

Government of India has not implemented any farm loan waiver scheme since Agriculture Debt Waiver Debt Relief Scheme (ADWDRS), 2008. There is no proposal under consideration of the Government of India to waive off the loans of farmers of the country.

To  realize  the  objectives  of  MSP  Policy,  after  announcement  of  MSP,  Government extends price support for paddy and wheat through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and State Agencies. Additionally, Oilseeds, pulses and copra of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) are procured from registered farmers under Price Support Scheme (PSS) under Umbrella Scheme of PM-AASHA, as per its guidelines when market price of these products fall below the MSP. Cotton and Jute are also procured by Government at MSP through Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and Jute Corporation of India (JCI), respectively.

Government has increased the duty on the import of soyabean from 12.5% to 32.5% to ensure that soyabean farmers receive better prices for their crops thus increasing their income.

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