Lok Sabha Question No. 1308 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-30
Subject: Committee on Doubling the Farmers Income
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Imran Masood

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1308

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 30 TH JULY, 2024

## COMMITTEE ON DOUBLING THE FARMERS INCOME

† 1308.   SHRI IMRAN MASOOD:

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

- (a)  whether  the  target  of  doubling  the  income  of  farmers  across  the  country  has  been achieved  for  which  the  Committee  formed  in  the  year  2016  to  find  out  the  measures  to double the income of farmers and submitted its report for issuing 7 points plan reform and programme in the year 2018;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  income  of  farmers  has  been  doubled  and  if  so,  the  reasons  for  farmers committing suicide  due to poverty and debt; and
- (d)  the  details  of  the  number  of  farmers  who  have  committed  suicide  across  the  country due to the said reasons since the year 2018, State-wise?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a) & (b): Government had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in April, 2016 to examine issues relating to 'Doubling of Farmers Income (DFI)' and recommend strategies to achieve  the  same.    The  Committee  submitted  its  final  report  to  the  Government  in September, 2018 containing the recommendations for doubling of farmers' income through various policies, reforms & programmes.  To achieve the objective, the Committee identified following seven sources of income growth: -
- i. Increase in crop productivity
- ii. Increase in livestock productivity
- iii. Resource use efficiency - reduction in cost of production
- iv. Increase in cropping intensity
- v. Diversification to high value agriculture

## vi. Remunerative prices on farmers' produce

## vii. Shift of surplus manpower from farm to non-farm occupations

Agriculture being a State Subject, the State Governments take appropriate measures for development of agriculture in the State. However, Government of India supplements the efforts  of  States  through  appropriate  policy  measures,  budgetary  support  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 Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare from Rs. 27,662.67 crore BE during 2013-14 to Rs. 1,25,035.79 crore BE during 2023-24.

Enhanced  budgetary  provisions  have  been  made  to  facilitate  the  below  mentioned efforts  of  the  Government.  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, which include:

- i. Income support to farmers through PM KISAN
- ii. Pradhan Mantri Fasal BimaYojana (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 farming in the country
- vi. Per Drop More Crop
- vii. Micro Irrigation Fund
- viii.   Promotion of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
- ix. National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
- x. Agricultural Mechanization
- xi. Namo Drone Didi
- 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 (NMEO-OP)
- xv.   Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
- xvi.  Improvement in farm produce logistics, Introduction of Kisan Rail.
- 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. Achievement in Export of Agri and Allied Agri- Commodities

(c)  &  (d):    Implementation  of  various  schemes  has  yielded  remarkable  results  towards augmenting  the  income  of  the  farmers.  As  part  of  the  'Azadi  ka  Amrit  Mahotsav',  Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has released a book, which contains compilation of success stories of 75,000 farmers out of innumerable successful farmers who have increased their income more than two times.

The  Situation  Assessment  Survey  (SAS)  is  carried  out  by  the  National  Statistical Organization (NSO) at certain intervals. The last available estimates on income of agricultural household  are  based  on  the  Situation  Assessment  Survey  of  Agricultural  Households conducted  by  National  Sample  Survey  Office  (NSSO)  during  77th  round  (January  December  2019).    As  per  the  survey,  estimated  average  monthly  income  per  agricultural household as obtained from NSS 70th round (2012-13) and NSS 77th round (2018-19) are given in Table below:

| Table: Average monthly income (Rs.) per agricultural household (considering paid out expenses only) during 2012-13 and 2018-19 all-India level   | Table: Average monthly income (Rs.) per agricultural household (considering paid out expenses only) during 2012-13 and 2018-19 all-India level   | Table: Average monthly income (Rs.) per agricultural household (considering paid out expenses only) during 2012-13 and 2018-19 all-India level   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Level                                                                                                                                            | 70th round (January-December 2013)                                                                                                               | 77th round (January- December 2019)                                                                                                              |
| (1)                                                                                                                                              | (2)                                                                                                                                              | (3)                                                                                                                                              |
| All-India                                                                                                                                        | 6,426                                                                                                                                            | 10,218                                                                                                                                           |

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,  separate  reasons  for  farmers'  suicide  have  not been given.

However,  ADSI  Report  mentions  the  following  reasons  of  suicides  (without  any reference to farmers): Family Problems, Illness, Drug Abuse, Alcoholic Addiction, Marriage    Related  issues,  Love  Affairs,  Bankruptcy  or  Indebtedness,  Unemployment, Failure in Examination, Profession/ Career Problem and Poverty.

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