Lok Sabha Question No. 2941 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-18
Subject: Financial Assistance for Organic Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Benny Behanan

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2941

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 18 TH  MARCH, 2025

## FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR ORGANIC FARMING

## 2941. SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government is willing to increase financial assistance for organic farming, agro-processing  units  and  farmer  cooperatives  in  Kerala,  which  play  a  vital  role  in  rural livelihoods;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  engaging  in  direct  consultations  with  the  Kerala  State Government and farmer organizations to address their demands and if so, the details of such discussions; and
- (c) whether the Government is considering expanding crop insurance coverage under PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to ensure better risk protection for farmers in Kerala and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a): Government  is  promoting  organic  farming  in  the  country  through  the  scheme  of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), a component of Pradhan Mantri- Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) including the State of Kerala. The PKVY scheme provides end-toend support to organic farmers i.e. from production to processing, certification and marketing in cluster based approach. The primary focus of the scheme is to form organic clusters in a cluster  where  preference  is  given  to  small  and  marginal  farmers  to  help  them  to  create  a supply  chain.  No  such  proposal  at  present  to  increase  financial  assistance  under  the scheme.
- (b): Government of India engages with States and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) regularly for various policy matters.
- (c): Yield  index  based  PMFBY  and  weather  index  based  Restructured  Weather  Based Crop Insurance  Scheme (RWBCIS) introduced in the  country  from Kharif 2016 season, is available for all States/UTs and is voluntary for the States as well as farmers. States/UTs are free  to  subscribe  under  the  scheme  keeping  in  view  their  risk  perception  and  financial considerations etc. The PMFBY is designed to cover those crops where past yield data of requisite number of years based on Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) is available and the

State Government has the capacity to conduct requisite number of CCEs to assess the yield of the crop to calculate claims. For the crops not meeting the aforesaid conditions, the concerned State Government is  free  to  notify  them  for  coverage  under  Restructured  Weather  Based  Crop  Insurance Scheme   (RWBCIS)   under  which  claims  payment  are  being  structured  on  the  basis  of weather index parameters. State Government of Kerala implemented both PMFBY and RWBCIS till 2022-23 and opted for RWBCIS only from 2023-24. Since inception of the PMFBY till 2022-23, 1.23 lakh farmer applications over an area of 0.83 lakh ha. for a sum insured of Rs. 749.25 crore has been insured in Kerala.  Claims of Rs. 63.32 crore have been paid to 0.48 lakh farmer applications. Similarly,  Since  inception  (2016-17)  till  2023-24  under  RWBCIS,  6.42  lakh  farmer applications over an area of 3.36  lakh ha. for a sum insured of Rs. 2228.21 crore has been insured  in  Kerala.    Claims  of  Rs.  504.29  crore  have  been  paid  to  4.10  lakh  farmer applications.

*****