Lok Sabha Question No. 3635 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-17
Subject: NCRB Data on Farmer Suicide Rates
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri G Kumar Naik

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3635

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 17 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## NCRB DATA ON FARMER SUICIDE RATES

3635.   SHRI G KUMAR NAIK:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  analysed  National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB)  data  to identify disparities in farmer suicide rates among States and the reasons for such disparities, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  or  commissioned  any  studies  to  understand  the underlying causes of farmer suicides including economic, social and environmental factors, if so, the findings thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the policy measures and schemes introduced for farmer welfare during the last ten years have succeeded in increasing farmer income and reducing suicides, if so, the measurable impact thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether specific measures have been implemented to reduce farmers' dependency on private loans and informal credit sources, if so, the details thereof and their effectiveness?

## Answer

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी

(SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) to (c): The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs compiles and disseminates information on suicides in its publication titled 'Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India' (ADSI). The report till 2022 is available on NCRB website (https://ncrb.gov.in). In the ADSI Reports 2020, 2021 and 2022, separate reasons for farmers' suicide have not been given.

Agriculture  is  a  State  subject  and  Government  of  India  supports  the  efforts  of  States through appropriate policy measures, budgetary allocation and 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  income  support  to  farmers.  The Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation of Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare(DA&FW) from Rs. 21933.50 crore BE during 2013-14 to Rs. 1,22,528.77  crore BE during 2024-25. 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 MaanDhan 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 Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs)
7. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
8. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises' (AgriSURE)
9. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)
10. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
11. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
12. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
13. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
14. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)
15. Digital Agriculture Mission
16. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM) - Natinal Agriculture Market (ISAMeNAM)
17. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM) - Others (ISAM-Others)
18. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
19. Soil Health Card (SHC)
20. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
21. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm
22. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds
23. National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
24. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region
25. Agroforestry
26. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)
27. National Bamboo Mission

The initiatives of Government are yielding good results with resultant increase in income of the farmers.  As part of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', Indian Council of Agricultural Research has released  a  compilation  of  success  stories  of  75,000  farmers  out  of  many  successful  farmers whose incomes have increased more than two times.

NSSO  Survey  on  Household  Consumption  Expenditure  (2022-23)  has  mentioned  a statement, which shows 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   |
|----------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| Sector   | 2011-12 NSS (68th round)                   | 2022-2023                                  |
| Rural    | 1,430                                      | 3,773                                      |
| Urban    | 2,630                                      | 6,459                                      |

Brief  of  new  schemes/  programmes  initiated  during  last  10  year  by  Department  of Agriculture & Farmer's Welfare for making farming more remunerative and make the farmers financially more secure is at Annexure.

(d): The  Kisan Credit  Card  (KCC),  which  has  been  in  operation  since  August  1998,  has emerged as an innovative credit delivery mechanism to meet the production credit requirements of  farmers  in  a  timely  and  hassle-free  manner.  The  scheme  has  since  been  simplified  by providing the farmers with ATM-enabled debit cards based on one-time documentation, multiple withdrawals within the limit, built-in cost escalation in the limit, etc. During 2018-19, the KCC Scheme and benefits of interest subvention were extended to animal husbandry and fisheries farmers.

Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers'  Welfare  is  implementing  Modified  Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS), a Central Sector Scheme, with a view to provide short term Agriloans availed by farmers through KCC for their working capital requirements at concessional rate of interest. Under this scheme, farmers are given KCC loan at subvented interest rate of 7%. For this, at present, interest subvention of @1.5% is being given to financial institutions. Therefore, short  term  loans  for  Agriculture  and  other  allied  activities  including  animal  husbandry,  dairy, fisheries  etc.  upto  Rs.  3  lakh  is  available  to  farmers  at  an  interest  rate  of  7%  per  annum. Additional  3% prompt repayment incentive (PRI) is also given to the farmers for prompt and timely repayment of loans; thus reducing the effective rate of interest to 4% per annum. In case of short term loan availed for allied activities only (other than crop husbandry), the loan amount upto Rs. 2.00 lakh is available at the rate of 7%. Additional 3% PRI is also available on it.

Though  KCC  is  a  demand  driven  scheme  but  Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers Welfare time and again has also run special compaign for increasing the saturation of KCC. Currently, 'Ghar Ghar KCC Abhiyan', is in progress with a special focus on saturating PM KISAN beneficiaries to extend the benefit of KCC and interest subvension to the farmers. Further, Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY) was also conducted to raise awareness through outreach activities to achieve saturation of vaious schemes, including KCC. In addition, under the PM JANMAN Yojana, the Governemnt aims to saturatre Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) with other centrally sponsored scheme, including the KCC.

## New Schemes initiated in Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in last 10 years

## 1. Unprecedented enhancement in budget allocation

In  the  year  2013-14  the  budget  allocation  of  Department  of Agriculture  and  Farmers' Welfare was only 21933.50 crore. This has increased by more than 5.58 times to Rs. 1,22,528.77 crore in 2024-25.

## 2. Fixing of MSP at one-and-a half times the cost of production

Government has increased the MSP for all mandated Kharif, Rabi and other commercial crops with a return of at least 50 per cent over all India weighted average cost of production from 201819.

## 3. Income support to farmers through PM KISAN

Launch of PM-KISAN in 2019 -an income support scheme providing Rs. 6000 per year in 3 equal installments. More than Rs. 3.46 lakh crore has been released so far to more than 11 crore farmers as of now.

## 4. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

PMFBY was launched in 2016 addressing during this period nearly Rs. 32,329 crore were paid  by  farmers  as  their  share  of  premium  against  which  claims  over  Rs.1,66,925  crore (Provisional) have been paid to them. Thus for every 100 rupees of premium paid by farmers, they have received about Rs. 514  as claims. In 2023-24, nearly 4 crores farmers took insurance.

## 5. Agri Infrastructure Fund

Since  the  inception  of  AIF,  83,068  projects  have  been  sanctioned  under  AIF.    These sanctioned  projects  have  mobilized  an  investment  of  Rs  84,029  Crores.  Major  projects sanctioned under AIF include Custom Hiring Centres, Primary Processing Units, Warehouses, Sorting  &  Grading  Units,  Cold  Store  projects  and  other  kinds  of  post-harvest  management projects and community farming assets.

## 6. Promotion of FPOs

-  A new Central Sector Scheme for Formation & Promotion of new 10,000 FPOs launched by Hon'ble Prime Minister on 29th February, 2020 with budget outlay of Rs 6,865 Crore till 2027-28.
-  As  on date 9,204 no. of FPOs  have  been  registered  under  new  FPO  scheme.  Equity Grant of Rs. 237 Crore has been released to 4,490 FPOs . Credit Guarantee Cover worth Rs. 410. 5 Cr . issued to 1,773 FPOs

## 7. Providing Soil Health Cards to farmers

Soil  Health  Card  Scheme  was  introduced  in  the  year  2014-15  to  optimize  usage  of nutrients. Nearly 22 crores cards have been issued to farmers.

## 8. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)

From the year 2015-16 to 2022-23, an area of 98.6 lakh ha has been covered under Micro Irrigation in the Country through the scheme which is about 133% higher as compared to 200506 to 2013-14.

## 9. Launch of the National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil Palm -

A new Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely, National Mission on Edible Oil (NMEO)-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) has been launched during August,2021 with the aim to enhance the edible oils availability in the country by harnessing Oil Palm area expansion, increasing CPO production and to reduce the import burden on edible oil. During the year 2023-24, GoI has approved the funds allocation of the 15 States for the total amount of Rs. 96,170.93 lakhs as Central share for the Coverage of about 1.40 lakh ha area under Oil Palm cultivation in the country.  Released  an amount of Rs. 35,754.76 lakhs and achieved about an Area of 34,078 ha in Financial Year 202425.

## 10. Setting up of E-NAM extension Platform

The Department has integrated 1389 mandis with e-NAM across 23 States &4 UTs. As on date, 1.78 crore Farmers & 2.62 Lakh traders have been registered on e-NAM portal. During 2023-24 trade volume increase to 194 from 186 lakh tons (4% growth). Volume of trade by FPO increased by more than 2.15 lakh ton to 4.28 lakh ton (99% growth).

## 11. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)

The Government of India initiated Natural Farming in 2019-20 through 'Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP)' under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) in limited areas.  Now BPKP  has been  upscaled and approved by Union Cabinet  on 25.11.2024 with an outlay of Rs. 2184.00 crore ( Rs. 1584 cr  Central share & 897 cr as State share) in mission mode as National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), a standalone scheme under Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW).

Natural Farming (NF) is a chemical free farming, involving livestock (preferably local breed of  cow) integrated natural farming methods, and diversified crop systems rooted in the Indian traditional knowledge. It is aimed towards improving soil health with greater climate resilience and redcing input cost to the farmer.

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