Lok Sabha Question No. 458 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Sustaining Agricultural Growth in Tribal Area
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 458

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2 ND  DECEMBER, 2025

## SUSTAINING AGRICULTURAL GROWTH IN TRIBAL AREA

458. SHRI SUKANTA KUMAR PANIGRAHI:

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

(a) whether the Government is aware that India achieved a record foodgrain production of about 353.95 million tonnes in 2024-25, registering 4.6% sectoral growth and if so, the specific  initiatives  that  have  been  taken  to  sustain  this  momentum  in  tribal  and  hilly regions such as Kandhamal in Odisha;

(b)  the  number  of  farmers  covered  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Samman  Nidhi  (PMKISAN), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and procurement programmes in Odisha, districtwise;

(c)  whether  any  steps  are  being  taken  to  link  Odisha's  organic  and  millet  clusters  to national and international markets and tribal, hilly regions including women's participation particularly in the State of Odisha with specific to Kandhamal Parliamentary constituency if so, the details thereof; and

(d)  the  measures  planned  to  promote  Agri-value  addition,  digital  farming  and  natural resource conservation in Aspirational Districts like Kandhamal?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a): India has achieved a record foodgrain production of 357.73 million tonnes as per the Final Esimates 2024-25, which reflects a growth of 7.65% as compared to the foodgrain production during 2023-24.

Agriculture being a State Subject, the State Governments take appropriate measures for the development of agriculture. The Government of India supports these efforts through policies, financial assistance, and various schemes and programmes aimed at increasing production, ensuring remunerative returns, and improving farmer incomes. Both Central Sector  and  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  of  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  are  being implemented in Odisha to aid farmer welfare.

- (b): During 2024-25 (as on 28.11.2025), 18,21,071 farmers have been benefitted under procurement programme of paddy in the State of Odisha. Further, the number of farmers  benefitted  under  procurement  programme  of  pulses  and  oilseeds,  Pradhan Mantri  Kisan  Samman  Nidhi  (PM-KISAN)  and  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana (PMFBY) in Odisha, district-wise are given at Annexures I, II and III respectively.

(c) & (d):  The Government is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) in all the States/UTs (except North Eastern States), including Odisha to promote organic farming. PKVY stress on end-to-end support to farmers engaged in organic farming i.e. from production to processing, certification and marketing. Primary focus of the scheme is to form organic clusters, with preference to small and marginal farmers, to create a supply chain.

To enhance millet production, consumption, exports, and value-chain development, 2023 was declared the International Year of Millets by the Government of India. The Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad has been designated as a Global Centre of Excellence to share research, best practices, and technologies. IIMR provides training to farmers, women, homemakers, students, and entrepreneurs in valueadded millet products and supports millet-based enterprises. The institute has developed 'Ready to Eat' and 'Ready to Cook' millet technologies, promoted the 'Eatrite' brand, and  organized  awareness  programmes  along  with  agri-business  and  technology incubation  initiatives.  One  component  of  the  Production  Linked  Incentive  Scheme  for Food Processing Industries (PLISFPI) focuses on Millet-Based Products (MBP), with an outlay of Rs. 800 crores. The objectives of the PLI Scheme for Millet-Based Products (PLISMBP) are to increase the use of millets in food products and promote their value addition by incentivizing the manufacturing and sale of selected millet-based products in both domestic and export markets.

The Sub-Mission on National Food Security & Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) Nutri  Cereals  is  being  implemented  across  all  districts  of  28  States  and  2  Union Territories,  including  Odisha.  Under  this  mission,  farmers  receive  incentives  through States/UTs for activities such as improved crop production and protection technologies, demonstrations, certified seed production and distribution, Integrated Nutrient and Pest Management, farmer training, workshops, seed minikits, and publicity efforts.

Additionally, the Government of India provides flexibility to States under the Pradhan  Mantri-Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PM-RKVY)  to  address  state-specific priorities. States may promote millets ( Shree Anna ) under PM-RKVY with approval from the State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) chaired by the Chief Secretary.

The  Indian Council of Agricultural Research  (ICAR)  under  Ministry  of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched a flagship network project namely National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) to conduct studies on the impact of climate change on agriculture and develop and promotes climate resilient technologies in agriculture.

The Government has set up a Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in Kandhamal district of Odisha to promote adoption of new technologies of agriculture and allied sectors including  Agri-value  addition  and  natural  resource  conservation  technologies  through technology assessment, demonstration and capacity development among the extension functionaries of state governments and farmers.

Government is implementing Sub Mission on Seeds and Planting Materials (SMSP) to promote production and multiplication of quality seeds of agricultural crops to ensure availability of required quantities of seed to farmers.

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) implements strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to the changing climate. Several schemes under NMSA deal with adverse climate situations in agriculture. Per Drop More Crop scheme increases water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro Irrigation technologies i.e. drip  and  sprinkler  irrigation  systems.  Rainfed  Area  Development  scheme  promotes Integrated  Farming  System  (IFS)  for  enhancing  productivity  and  minimizing  risks associated with climatic variability. The Soil Health Card (SHC) / Soil Health Management (SHM) scheme is operational through the State Governments under the National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertility. SHC provides information to farmers on soil nutrient status of their soil and recommends appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and fertility. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH),  Agroforestry  &  National  Bamboo  Mission  also  promote  climate  resilience  in agriculture.

A  component  called  'Innovation  and  Agri-Entrepreneurship  Development' has been launched under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY-RAFTAAR) in 2018-19 to  promote  innovation  and  agri-entrepreneurship  by  providing  financial  support  and nurturing the incubation ecosystem. Under this programme, start-ups are encouraged to use innovative technologies to resolve challenges faced in agriculture and allied sectors.

The  Government has  taken  various  initiatives  to  enhance  digital  integration,  promote innovation,  and  make  advanced  technologies  like  drones  more  accessible  in  the agriculture sector. To promote the use of drone technology in agriculture, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare released SOPs in December 2021 for safe pesticide and nutrient application using drones. Under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM),  extensive  financial  assistance  to  purchase  drones  and  their  attachments  is provided as follows:

-  100% support (up to ₹10 lakh) for ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)
-  75% support for FPOs for field demonstrations.
-  40-50% support (₹4-5 lakh limit) for Custom Hiring Centers and farmers, with higher assistance for SC/ST, women, and small/marginal farmers.

The Government has approved 'Namo Drone Didi' as Central Sector Scheme for providing drones to the Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) with an outlay of Rs. 1261 Crores for the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26. The scheme aims to provide drones to 15000 selected Women SHGs for providing rental services  to farmers for agricultural purpose (application of fertilizers and pesticides).

Further, the Government has employed Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods to address  various  challenges  in  the  agricultural  sector  to  aid  farmers.  Some  of  the initiatives are given below:

- I. 'Kisan e-Mitra' an AI-powered chatbot to assist farmers with queries about the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This solution supports multiple languages and is evolving to assist with other government programs.
- II. National Pest Surveillance System for tackling the loss of produce due to climate change.  This  system  utilizes  AI  and  Machine  Learning  to  detect  crop  issues, enabling timely intervention for healthier crops

Annexure I District-wise details of farmers benefitted in Odisha under PM-KISAN in 21 st

instalment, as on 26.11.2025

| Sr.   | Districts      | No. of Beneficiaries   |
|-------|----------------|------------------------|
| 1     | Angul          | 1,24,397               |
| 2     | Balangir       | 1,97,340               |
| 3     | Balasore       | 2,39,346               |
| 4     | Bargarh        | 1,59,929               |
| 5     | Bhadrak        | 1,57,786               |
| 6     | Boudh          | 48,528                 |
| 7     | Cuttack        | 1,54,995               |
| 8     | Deogarh        | 37,581                 |
| 9     | Dhenkanal      | 1,03,432               |
| 10    | Gajapati       | 41,769                 |
| 11    | Ganjam         | 1,67,328               |
| 12    | Jagatsinghapur | 1,19,031               |
| 13    | Jajpur         | 1,60,353               |
| 14    | Jharsuguda     | 33,449                 |
| 15    | Kalahandi      | 1,47,698               |
| 16    | Kandhamal      | 63,507                 |
| 17    | Kendrapara     | 1,25,699               |
| 18    | Keonjhar       | 1,80,409               |
| 19    | Khordha        | 72,374                 |
| 20    | Koraput        | 68,604                 |
| 21    | Malkangiri     | 48,713                 |
| 22    | Mayurbhanj     | 2,37,679               |
| 23    | Nabarangpur    | 1,04,063               |
| 24    | Nayagarh       | 74,100                 |
| 25    | Nuapada        | 84,131                 |
| 26    | Puri           | 1,58,319               |
| 27    | Rayagada       | 47,648                 |
| 28    | Sambalpur      | 59,348                 |
| 29    | Sonepur        | 61,729                 |
| 30    | Sundargarh     | 1,32,701               |
|       | Total          | 34,11,986              |

Source: DA&FW

Annexure II District wise details of farmers application enrolled under PMFBY and RWBCIS District in Odisha during 2024-25

| Sr.   | Districts      | Application Enrolled   |
|-------|----------------|------------------------|
| 1     | Anugul         | 4,25,212               |
| 2     | Balangir       | 11,94,869              |
| 3     | Baleshwar      | 8,26,148               |
| 4     | Bargarh        | 16,14,615              |
| 5     | Bhadrak        | 6,53,670               |
| 6     | Boudh          | 1,15,456               |
| 7     | Cuttack        | 4,68,948               |
| 8     | Deogarh        | 2,54,100               |
| 9     | Dhenkanal      | 2,78,426               |
| 10    | Gajapati       | 72,541                 |
| 11    | Ganjam         | 8,85,106               |
| 12    | Jagatsinghapur | 3,15,804               |
| 13    | Jajapur        | 8,43,906               |
| 14    | Jharsuguda     | 7,60,502               |
| 15    | Kalahandi      | 5,13,375               |
| 16    | Kandhamal      | 74,812                 |
| 17    | Kendrapara     | 7,19,973               |
| 18    | Kendujhar      | 4,75,952               |
| 19    | Khordha        | 3,22,708               |
| 20    | Koraput        | 74,576                 |
| 21    | Malkangiri     | 66,340                 |
| 22    | Mayurbhanj     | 4,73,841               |
| 23    | Nabarangpur    | 93,960                 |
| 24    | Nayagarh       | 1,91,453               |
| 25    | Nuapada        | 1,93,713               |
| 26    | Puri           | 6,56,601               |
| 27    | Rayagada       | 75,958                 |
| 28    | Sambalpur      | 8,34,608               |
| 29    | Subarnapur     | 2,30,359               |
| 30    | Sundargarh     | 9,73,590               |
|       | Total          | 1,46,81,122            |

Source: DA&FW

Annexure III District-wise no. of farmers benefitted under procurement programmes in Odisha

## during 2024-25

## Moong

| District      |   Purchase Quantity MTS | Value in Rs.   |   Number of farmers benefitted |
|---------------|-------------------------|----------------|--------------------------------|
| Angul         |                    0.45 | 39,069.00      |                              5 |
| Bhadrak       |                  126.6  | 10,991,412.00  |                            183 |
| Bolangir      |                   34.05 | 2,956,221.00   |                             87 |
| Cuttack       |                  812.58 | 70,548,456.93  |                            835 |
| Ganjam        |                  119.35 | 10,361,967.00  |                            220 |
| Jagatsinghpur |                 2583.17 | 224,270,556.34 |                           3035 |
| Jajpur        |                 1286.6  | 111,702,612.00 |                           1179 |
| Jharsuguda    |                   15    | 1,302,300.00   |                             33 |
| Kalahandi     |                   48.25 | 4,189,065.00   |                             76 |
| Kendrapada    |                  949.2  | 82,409,544.00  |                           1964 |
| Khordha       |                  941.2  | 81,714,984.00  |                            695 |
| Malkangiri    |                  477.85 | 41,486,937.00  |                            282 |
| Mayurbhanj    |                  210.05 | 18,236,541.00  |                            164 |
| Nayagarh      |                  185.75 | 16,126,815.00  |                            320 |
| Nuapada       |                   39.65 | 3,442,413.00   |                             31 |
| Puri          |                 2475.75 | 214,944,615.00 |                           2764 |
| Raygada       |                    5.85 | 507,897.00     |                              8 |
| Sambalpur     |                    1    | 86,820.00      |                              5 |
| Total         |                10312.4  | 895,318,225.26 |                          11886 |

## Urad

| District   |   Purchase Quantity MTS | Value in Rs.   |   Number of farmers benefitted |
|------------|-------------------------|----------------|--------------------------------|
| Ganjam     |                   19.8  | 1,465,200.00   |                             10 |
| Malkangiri |                   14.15 | 1,047,100.00   |                             20 |
| Khordha    |                  105.75 | 7,825,500.00   |                             50 |
| Puri       |                  116.95 | 8,654,300.00   |                            107 |
| Kendrapada |                   33.05 | 2,445,700.00   |                             39 |

Source: DA&FW

Qty. in MT/Value in Rs.

| Jagatsinghpur   |   7.10 | 525,400.00    |   16 |
|-----------------|--------|---------------|------|
| Jajpur          |   2    | 148,000.00    |    1 |
| Jharsuguda      |  14.5  | 1,073,000.00  |    9 |
| Raygada         |   3.85 | 284,900.00    |    4 |
| Total           | 317.15 | 23,469,100.00 |  256 |

Groundnut

| District   |   Purchase Quantity MTS | Value in Rs.   |   Number of farmers benefitted |
|------------|-------------------------|----------------|--------------------------------|
| Angul      |                   55.51 | 3,765,243.30   |                             79 |
| Balasore   |                   27.2  | 1,844,636.85   |                             31 |
| Deogarh    |                  236.92 | 16,069,944.45  |                            270 |
| Ganjam     |                   11.73 | 795,306.75     |                              8 |
| Khordha    |                   11.45 | 776,314.35     |                              4 |
| Puri       |                  385.7  | 26,162,166.66  |                            308 |
| Jajpur     |                  100.63 | 6,825,393.75   |                             39 |
| Koraput    |                  223.09 | 15,132,194.70  |                            196 |
| Malkangiri |                  531.65 | 36,061,819.50  |                            288 |
| Mayurbhanj |                  143.12 | 9,707,490.45   |                            116 |
| Nuapada    |                  118.3  | 8,024,289.00   |                            153 |
| Sundargarh |                  196.39 | 13,320,794.55  |                            188 |
| Total      |                 2041.66 | 138,485,594.31 |                           1680 |

Sunflower

| District   |   Purchase Quantity MTS | Value in Rs.   |   Number of farmers benefitted |
|------------|-------------------------|----------------|--------------------------------|
| Bhadrak    |                    47.4 | 3,450,720.00   |                             88 |
| Kendrapada |                     0.7 | 50,960.00      |                              3 |
| Total      |                    48.1 | 3,501,680.00   |                             91 |

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