Lok Sabha Question No. 1318 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-11
Subject: Modern Agricultural Equipment and Technology
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Ramashankar  Vidharthi Rajbhar

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1318

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2025

## MODERN AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

## 1318.  Shri Ramashankar Rajbhar:

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

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to ensure the availability of modern agricultural equipment and technology to farmers in the country;
- (b) whether the small and marginal farmers are getting the benefits of these facilities and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the district of schemes implemented by the Government for setting up agro-based industries and food processing units in rural areas along with the benefits received by the farmers from these schemes;
- (d) the details of the policies formulated by the Government for providing compensation and relief to farmers during natural calamities like drought, flood etc., State-wise; and
- (e) the status of implementation of the major programmes being run by the Government to achieve the target of doubling the income of farmers?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) &  (b):  Government  of  India  supports  and  facilitates  the  State  Governments  for infusing modern and smart farming technologies into the agriculture sector. The use of modern machines including kisan drones is promoted under Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization  (SMAM).  Under  National  e-Governance  Plan  in  Agriculture  (NeGPA) program,  funding  is  given  to  State  Governments  for  Digital  Agriculture  Projects  using emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Internet of Things (IOT), Blockchain etc. A component called 'Innovation and AgriEntrepreneurship Development' has been launched under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY-RAFTAAR)  in  2018-19  with  the  objective  of  promoting  innovation  and  AgriEntrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem. Under this programme, start-ups are encouraged to use innovative technologies to resolve challenges faced in agriculture and allied sectors. The funds are released to the States based on their proposals.

Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) in the Country from 2015-16. PDMC focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation namely Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation Systems. The PDMC also supports micro level water storage, water  conservation/management  activities  as  Other  Interventions  (OI)  to  supplement source creation for Micro Irrigation. During the years 2015-16 to 2021-22, the PDMC was implemented as a component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). From the year 2022-23, the PDMC is being implemented under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).  The  Micro-irrigation  helps  in  water  saving  as  well  as  reduced  fertilizer  usage through fertigation, labour expenses, other input costs and overall income enhancement of farmers. The Government provides financial assistance @ 55% for small and marginal farmers and @ 45% for other farmers for installation of Drip and Sprinkler systems under the  PDMC.  The  Assistance  for  installation  of  Micro-irrigation  systems  is  limited  to  5 hectares for a beneficiary.

(c): In order to ensure overall development of Food Processing Industries, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) is implementing a Central Sector Umbrella Scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY)', Central Sector 'Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI)' and centrally sponsored 'PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME)' Scheme. Ministry provides financial assistance in the form of grants-in-aid/ subsidy to entrepreneurs for setting up such industries  across the country. The  projects are selected for  assistance  based  on Expression of Interest (EoI) issued from time to time. Under PMKSY Scheme, government has approved 1646 projects having project cost of Rs. 31,858.53 Cr with approved grantsin-aid/  subsidy  of  Rs  9,110.08  Cr  and  private  investment  of  Rs  22,748.45  Cr  under corresponding component schemes of PMKSY. Out of 1646 projects, 1087 projects have been  operationalized  benefiting  33,17,538  farmers.  Under  PMFME  scheme,  a  total  of 1,16,148 micro food processing enterprises has been approved so far for credit linked subsidy and 3,13,218 members of Self Help Groups supported for seed capital amounting of Rs. 1042.06 Cr. in rural and urban areas of the country. Further, 171 proposals under different  categories  of  Product  Linked  Incentive  scheme  for  Food  Processing  sector (PLISFPI) have been approved and a total subsidy of Rs 1084.01 Cr has been disbursed so far.

(d): The  primary  responsibility for disaster  management  rests  with the State Governments. The State Governments provide financial relief to the affected people in the wake  of  notified  disasters,  including  drought  from  the  State  Disaster  Response  Fund (SDRF), already placed at their disposal. However, in the event of disaster of a severe nature such as drought, hailstorm, pest  attack and cold  wave/frost, additional financial assistance is extended from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as per the laid down procedure, which includes an assessment based on the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT). The financial assistance provided under SDRF and NDRF is by way of relief and not for compensation.

(e): For improving the lives of farmers and increasing their income, the Government has substantially  enhanced  the  budget  allocation  of  Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers Welfare from Rs. 21,933.50 crore BE during 2013-14 to Rs. 1,22,528.77 crore BE during 2024-25. This enhanced budgetary provision has been made to facilitate the efforts of the Government towards the following:

- i. Income support to farmers through PM KISAN
- ii. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
- iii. Institutional Credit for agriculture sector
- iv. Fixing  of  Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  at  one-and-a  half  times  the  cost  of production
- v. Promotion of organic/natural farming in the country
- vi. Per Drop More Crop
- vii. Micro Irrigation Fund
- viii. Namo Drone Didi
- ix. Promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)
- x. National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
- xi. Agricultural Mechanization
- xii. Providing Soil Health Cards to farmers
- xiii. Setting up of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) extension Platform
- xiv. Launch of the National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil Palm
- xv. Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
- xvi. Improvement in farm produce logistics
- xvii. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) -Cluster Development Programme
- xviii. Creation of a Start-up Eco system in agriculture and allied sector
- xix. Increase in Export of Agri and Allied Agri- Commodities

Government  of  India  supplements  the  efforts  of  States  through  appropriate  policy measures, budgetary support and through 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  provide  income support to the farmers.

The initiatives of Government are yielding good results with a resultant increase in the income  of  the  farmers.  As  part  of  the  'Azadi  ka  Amrit  Mahotsav',  Indian  Council  of Agricultural Research has released a compilation of success stories of 75,000 farmers, out of innumerable successful farmers, whose incomes have increased more than two times". The  Survey  on  Household  Consumption  Expenditure  (2022-23)  of  the  NSSO  has mentioned  a  statement,  showing  a  comparison  of  the  estimates  of  all-India  average Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) as under:

| Sector   | Average MPCE (Rs.) over different period   | Average MPCE (Rs.) over different period   |
|----------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|          | 2011-12 NSS (68 th round)                  | 2022-2023                                  |
| Rural    | 1,430                                      | 3,773                                      |
| Urban    | 2,630                                      | 6,459                                      |

Note: For the  years  2011-12 and  2022-23,  estimates  are based  on  Modified  MRP (MMRP)

Further, the Department of Agriculture, & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW)  is implementing National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) in all of the 28 States and 2 Union Territories viz. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh with the objective to increase food  grain  production  through  area  expansion  and  productivity  enhancement.  Under NFSNM, assistance is given through State governments to the farmers for interventions like cluster demonstrations on improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system,  distribution  of  seeds  of  High  Yielding  Varieties  (HYVs)/hybrids,  improved  farm machineries/resource  conservation  machineries/tools,  efficient  water  application  tools, plant  protection  measures,  nutrient  management/soil  ameliorants,  processing  &  postharvest equipments, cropping system based trainings to the farmers etc. The mission also provides support to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) & State Agricultural Universities  (SAUs)/Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  (KVKs)  for  technology  back-stopping  and transfer of technology to the farmer under supervision of Subject Matter Specialists/Scientists/Experts.

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