Lok Sabha Question No. 2808 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-10
Subject: Farmers Welfare Initiatives
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Naveen Jindal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2808

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10 TH  MARCH, 2026

## FARMERS WELFARE INITIATIVES

2808..SHRI NAVEEN JINDAL

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

- (a)  the  status  of  a  legal  guarantee  for  MSP  for  all  mandated  crops,  the  effectiveness  of current MSP infrastructure in States/UTs and the actual percentage of farmers benefiting from the current MSP regime;
- (b) the details of the initiatives taken to address agricultural distress, data of the last three years year-wise on farmer suicides (State-wise/UT-wise) the major reasons identified and the sufficiency of government initiatives to protect farmers' interests;
- (c) the details of the measures taken to improve the per capita income of farmers and details of income levels for last three years compared to minimum prescribed wages; and
- (d) the availability of easy credit for farmers to reduce dependency on middlemen and the details of loan waivers or structural reforms in the agricultural credit policy during each of the last three years, year-wise?

## ANSWER

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

- (a):  Every  year,  Government  fixes  Minimum  Support  Prices  (MSPs)  for  22  mandated agricultural crops for the country as a whole, based on the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering the views of State Governments and  Central  Ministries/Departments  concerned.  The  Union  Budget  for  2018-19  had announced the pre-determined principle to keep MSPs at levels of one and half times of the cost of production. Accordingly, Government had increased MSPs for all mandated Kharif, Rabi  and  other  Commercial  crops  with  a  minimum  return  of  50  percent  over  all  India weighted average cost of production from year 2018-19 onwards.

Government extends price support for paddy and wheat at MSP through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and State Agencies. Additionally, Oilseeds, pulses and copra of Fair  Average  Quality  (FAQ)  are  procured  from  registered  farmers  under  Price  Support Scheme (PSS) under Umbrella Scheme of PM-AASHA, as per its guidelines when market prices of these products fall below the MSP as per the demand by the state. Cotton and Jute are also procured by Government at MSP through Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and Jute Corporation of India (JCI), respectively. However, farmers are free to sell their produce to  the  Government  procurement  agencies  at  MSP  or  in  the  open  market,  whichever  is advantageous to them. The year wise details of MSP amount paid to the farmers and number of farmers benefitted during last five years are given below.

| Year                          |   MSP Value (In ₹ Lakh Crore) |   Number of Farmers benefitted (In Crore) |
|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| 2021-22                       |                          2.25 |                                      1.63 |
| 2022-23                       |                          2.47 |                                      1.68 |
| 2023-24                       |                          2.63 |                                      1.52 |
| 2024-25                       |                          3.47 |                                      1.96 |
| 2025-26 (upto February 2026)* |                          2.27 |                                      1.44 |

(b) & (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 is available on NCRB website (https://ncrb.gov.in).

Government of lndia supplements  the  efforts of  States through  appropriate  policy measures  and  budgetary  support  and  various  schemes/  programmes.  The  important initiatives  of  the  Government  of  India  meant  for  the  Welfare  of  farmers  by  increasing production, remunerative returns and income support to farmers are given below.

1. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)
2. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm
3. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds
4. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
5. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
6. Soil Health & Fertility (SH&F)
7. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
8. Agroforestry
9. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)
10. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
11. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
12. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
13. National Bamboo Mission
14. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
15. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region
16. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)
17. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM)
18. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
19. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)
20.  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana  (PMFBY)/  Restructured  Weather  Based  Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)
21. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
22. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)
23. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
24. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs)
25. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises (AgriSURE)
26. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
27. Digital Agriculture Mission

The average monthly income of agricultural households in the country is periodically estimated  through  the  'Situation  Assessment  Survey  (SAS)  of  Agricultural  Households', conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of  Statistics and  Programme Implementation (MoSPI). As per the latest NSS 77th round of the Survey (January, 2019 December, 2019) with reference to the agricultural year July, 2018- June, 2019 in the rural areas of the country, the average monthly income per agricultural household from various sources is estimated at Rs. 10, 218/- per month. According to the SAS findings, the average monthly income per agricultural household has increased from Rs. 6,426 in the agricultural year 2012- 13 to Rs. 10,218 in 2018-19, reflecting an increase of about 59 percent.

(d):  The  government  is  implementing  a  100%  centrally  funded  Central  Sector  Scheme known as the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) across various States and UTs in pan India. This scheme aims to make agriculture credit affordable by providing Interest Subvention (IS)  and  Prompt  Repayment Incentive  (PRI)  on  short-term  agricultural  loans obtained by farmers through Kisan Credit Cards (KCC)  for their working capital requirements.lt has been constant endeavour of the Government to boost agriculture sector through effective and hassle-free credit, for which the Government sets Ground Level Credit (GLC)  Target  for  agriculture  sector.  The  total  amount  of  Ground  Level  Credit  (GLC) disbursed to farmers are as under:

(Values in Lakh Crores)

|   S. No. | Year    |   Disbursed amount |
|----------|---------|--------------------|
|        1 | 2022-23 |              21.55 |
|        2 | 2023-24 |              25.49 |
|        3 | 2024-25 |              28.67 |

(Data source: NABARD)

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