Lok Sabha Question No. 344 (STARRED), answered on 2025-03-25
Subject: Farmers Quitting/Leaving Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Anup Sanjay Dhotre

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 344

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2025

## FARMERS QUITTING/LEAVING AGRICULTURE

## *344. SHRI ANUP SANJAY DHOTRE:

Will the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has conducted a review to assess the number of farmers who have quit agriculture during each of the last three years in each State/UT; (b) if so, the details and the outcome thereof, State/UT-wise; (c) the main reasons identified in the review for quitting of agriculture by farmers; (d) whether the Government has suggested that the farmers shift to cash crop cultivation from traditional crops; (e) if so, the details thereof along with the other deficiencies identified during the review; and (f) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to popularize agriculture and ensure that the farmers do not quit agriculture in near future?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)

(a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  to  (f)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  344  DUE  FOR  ANSWER  ON  25 TH   MARCH,  2025  ON 'FARMERS QUITTING/LEAVING AGRICULTURE'.

(a) to (c): No, the Government has not conducted review to assess the number of farmers who quit agriculture.

As per the decennial Census conducted by the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, the total number of cultivator in the country, have declined from 12.73 core in 2001 to 11.88 crore in 2011 showing a decrease of 6.67%. This shift of cultivators from primary(agriculture) sector to secondary and tertiary sectors is a normal phenomenon of the development process experienced by countries across the world and the same is true for India as well. Further, the reasons for this shift include, inter-alia, better employment opportunities in industry and services sectors, increasing urbanization etc.

State/UT-wise details of number  of cultivator as  per  Census 2001 and 2011  is given in the Annexure .

Since  the  Population  Census is  conducted after  every  ten  years,  the details  of cultivators  who  have  shifted  from  agriculture  to  other  occupations  since  2011  are  not known.

(d): The cultivation of crops depends upon the preference of farmers attributed to many factors  like  agro  climatic  conditions,  market  prices,  resource  availability,  etc.  The Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare  (DA&FW)  is  implementing  scheme  on commercial crops viz., cotton, jute & sugarcane under National Food Security Mission (NFSM)  from  2014-15.  The  farmers  are  getting  benefited  from  these  crops.  Further, Government is promoting integrated farming with focus on horticulture, floriculture, beekeeping,  fisheries,  agro-forestry,  etc,  to  diversify  the  income  base  of  agricultural households.

(f): With a view to make agriculture attractive and more remunerative, Government is implementing a number  of schemes.  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

Further, agriculture is a State subject and Government of India supports the efforts of  States  through  appropriate  policy  measures,  budgetary  allocation  and  various schemes/ programmes.

- (e): In view of (a) to (c) above, the question does not arise.

## Annexure

## Annexure in reference to Reply to Part (a) to (c ) of the Starred Question No. 344 due for reply on 25.03.2023

|   Sl.No. | States/UTs                |   Number of cultivators (in lakh) 2001 |   2011 |
|----------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------|
|        1 | ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS |                                   0.21 |   0.17 |
|        2 | ANDHRA PRADESH            |                                  78.6  |  64.92 |
|        3 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH         |                                   2.79 |   3.03 |
|        4 | ASSAM                     |                                  37.31 |  40.62 |
|        5 | BIHAR                     |                                  81.94 |  71.96 |
|        6 | CHANDIGARH                |                                   0.02 |   0.03 |
|        7 | CHHATTISGARH              |                                  43.11 |  40.05 |
|        8 | DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI      |                                   0.39 |   0.28 |
|        9 | DAMAN & DIU               |                                   0.04 |   0.02 |
|       10 | GOA                       |                                   0.5  |   0.31 |
|       11 | GUJARAT                   |                                  58.03 |  54.48 |
|       12 | HARYANA                   |                                  30.18 |  24.81 |
|       13 | HIMACHAL PRADESH          |                                  19.55 |  20.62 |
|       14 | JAMMU & KASHMIR           |                                  15.92 |  12.45 |
|       15 | JHARKHAND                 |                                  38.9  |  38.15 |
|       16 | KARNATAKA                 |                                  68.84 |  65.81 |
|       17 | KERALA                    |                                   7.24 |   6.7  |
|       18 | LAKSHADWEEP               |                                   0    |   0    |
|       19 | MADHYA PRADESH            |                                 110.38 |  98.44 |
|       20 | MAHARASHTRA               |                                 118.13 | 125.69 |
|       21 | MANIPUR                   |                                   3.8  |   5.74 |
|       22 | MEGHALAYA                 |                                   4.67 |   4.95 |
|       23 | MIZORAM                   |                                   2.56 |   2.3  |
|       24 | NAGALAND                  |                                   5.49 |   5.38 |
|       25 | NCT OF DELHI              |                                   0.37 |   0.33 |
|       26 | ODISHA                    |                                  42.48 |  41.04 |
|       27 | PUDUCHERRY                |                                   0.11 |   0.12 |
|       28 | PUNJAB                    |                                  20.65 |  19.35 |
|       29 | RAJASTHAN                 |                                 131.4  | 136.19 |
|       30 | SIKKIM                    |                                   1.31 |   1.17 |
|       31 | TAMIL NADU                |                                  51.16 |  42.48 |
|       32 | TRIPURA                   |                                   3.13 |   2.96 |
|       33 | UTTAR PRADESH             |                                 221.68 | 190.58 |
|       34 | UTTARAKHAND               |                                  15.7  |  15.8  |
|       35 | WEST BENGAL               |                                  56.54 |  51.17 |

Note: The Census 2001 figures for the India and Manipur exclude that of Mao Param, Paomata and Purul sub-divisions of Senapati district of Manipur

Source: PCA, Census of India, 2011