Lok Sabha Question No. 3936 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-25
Subject: Measures to Increase Agricultural Productivity
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Parbhubhai Nagarbhai Vasava, Shri Dileshwar Kamait, Shri Jugal Kishore, Shri Anoop Pradhan Valmiki

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3936 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2025

## MEASURES TO INCREASE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY

3936.  SHRI PARBHUBHAI NAGARBHAI VASAVA: SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT: SHRI JUGAL KISHORE: SHRI ANOOP PRADHAN VALMIKI:

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

(a) the details of the measures taken by the Government to increase agricultural productivity and ensure sustainability in rural and marginalized communities;

(b) the details of the steps taken by the Government to integrate climate resilience into rural development policies;

(c)  the  measures  being  taken  to  ensure  that  the  benefits  of  rural  development  initiatives effectively reach the most vulnerable sections of society particularly women, small farmers and indigenous communities;

(d) the manner in which PM-Kisan Yojana, NFSA and other Government schemes are being reviewed to ensure food security in Hathras as the effective implementation of schemes is essential for the empowerment of farmers and vulnerable communities;

(e) the names of insurance schemes implemented to compensate farmers for crop damage due to climate change; and

(f) the steps taken to provide the benefits of the said schemes to the farmers?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) & (b): In  order  to  increase  the  agricultural  productivity,  Government  of  India  is implementing the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) in 28 States and 2 Union Territories (UTs) viz. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The objective of NFSNM is to increase production of foodgrains through area expansion and productivity enhancement. Under this scheme, the incentives are provided to the farmers, through the States/UTs, on crop  production  and  protection  technologies,  cropping  system-based  demonstrations, distribution of certified seeds of newly released varieties/hybrids, integrated nutrient and pest management techniques, improved farm implements/tools/resource conservation machineries,  water  saving  devices,  capacity  building  of  farmers  through  trainings  during cropping season, etc.

The Government has set up National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008, which provide an overarching policy framework for climate action in the country. The NAPCC outlines a national strategy to enable the country to adapt to climate change and enhance ecological sustainability. One of the National Missions under NAPCC is the National Mission  for  Sustainable  Agriculture  (NMSA)  which  evolves  and  implements  strategies  to make agriculture more resilient to the changing climate.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has launched a flagship network project  namely  National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA). The project conducts studies on the impact of climate change on agriculture including crops, livestock, horticulture and fisheries and also develops and promotes climate resilient technologies in agriculture for vulnerable areas of the country. The outputs of the project help the regions to cope with extreme weather conditions like droughts, floods, frost, heat waves, etc. During last 10 years (2014-2024), a total of 2593 varieties have been released by ICAR, out of these 2177 varieties have been found tolerant to one or more biotic and/or abiotic stresses. For enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacity of farmers to climate variability, the Concept of  "Climate  Resilient  Villages"  (CRVs)  has  been  initiated  under  NICRA.  Location-specific climate  resilient  technologies  have  been  demonstrated  in  448  CRVs  of  151  climatically vulnerable districts covering 28 states/UTs for adoption by farmers. ICAR through its NICRA project, creates awareness about impact of climate change in agriculture among farmers. Capacity  building  programmes  are  being  conducted  to  educate  the  farmers  on  various aspects of climate change for wider adoption of climate resilient technologies.

Further, the Government of India also advises the States and seed producing agencies from time to time to place the breeder seeds indents of newly released High Yielding Varieties (HYVs), stress tolerant varieties (drought, flood and salinity) including stress tolerant/ climate resilient /smart varieties (to tackle the challenges of climate changes more effective way) of different crops developed by ICAR Institutes /State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) etc. for further multiplication into foundation and certified seeds, so as to make available required seeds of these crops varieties to the farmers to enhance agricultural production, productivity and also to help farmers' profitability in the country. Further, Sub-Mission on Seeds & Planting Materials (SMSP) is implemented from the year 2014-15 onwards to promote production and multiplication of quality seeds of agricultural crops, so that the required quantities of seeds could be made available to farmers in the country. SMSP has now been merged with NFSNM during the year 2023-24.

(c)  &  (d):  Under  the  National  Food  Security  Act  2013,  Antyodaya  Anna  Yojana  (AAY) households, which constitute poorest of the poor are entitled to 35 kg of foodgrains, per family per month, Priority Households (PHH) are entitled to 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month, free  of  cost.  The  Act  provides  that  the  State  Government  shall,  within  the  ceiling  of beneficiaries  determined  for  the  State,  identify  the  households  to  be  covered  under  the Antyodaya Anna Yojana to the extent specified by the Central Government, in accordance with the guidelines applicable to the said scheme and the remaining households as priority households to be covered under the Targeted Public Distribution System, in accordance with such guidelines evolved by the State Government itself.

Further,  Government  is  implementing  various  schemes  /  measures  to  enable  Rural development,  benefitting  the  most  vulnerable  sections  of  society  including  women,  small farmers and indigenous communities. The list of the schemes is given as under:

- (i) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
- (ii) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
- (iii) Samagra Shiksha
- (iv) Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY)
- (v) Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI)
- (vi) Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
- (vii) Jan Sikhshan Sansthan (JSS)
- (viii) National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)
- (ix) Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS)
- (x) National Health Mission (NHM)
- (xi) National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)
- (e) & (f): Government  of  India  implements  yield-based  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and weather index based Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme  (WBCIS)  from  Kharif  2016  to  provide  financial  support  to  the  insured  farmers suffering  crop loss/damage arising out of natural calamities & adverse weather incidence such as flood, drought hailstorm, landslide, inundation, cloud burst & natural fire.  The postharvest losses for a specified period of 15 days are also covered under this scheme. To increase the efficiency of the scheme implementation and penetration, various initiatives has been deployed, which are given as under:
- (i) Digi-Claim-Payment Module -The module aims at integrating NCIP with PFMS end to  end.  Now  Govt.  will  have  visibility  of  quantum  of  eligible  claims,  claims  paid  by  the Insurance Company and actual claims transferred to beneficiary farmers, which till now was missing  and  Govt.  always  had  dependence  for  these  reports  and  data  on  Insurance Company.
- (ii)  AIDE (App for Intermediary Enrolment): A smart-phone App has been designed and rolled out in Kharif 2023 for enrolment of farmers at their door-steps through a large network  of  Insurance  Intermediaries.  It  offers  a  completely  paper-less  and  cash-less experience to a farmer.
- (iii) Krishi Rakshak Portal & Helpline: A pan-India single number integrated grievance redressal mechanism having digital portal and a call centre has been developed to enable farmers to lodge their grievances/concerns/queries.

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