Lok Sabha Question No. 4050 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Agrarian Crisis in Himachal Pradesh
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Suresh Kumar Kashyap

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.

## 4050

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 17 TH  MARCH, 2026

## AGRARIAN CRISIS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

4050. SHRI SURESH KUMAR KASHYAP:

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

(a) whether keeping in view that most of the farmers in Himachal Pradesh particularly in the Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency are small and marginal farmers and their livelihoods primarily  depends  upon  apples,  vegetables,  horticulture  and  rain-fed  agriculture,  the farmers' income have been severely affected due to erratic rainfall, hailstorms, climate changes, crop damage, caused by wild animals, rising costs and limited market access in the past years;

(b)  the  number  of  farmers  along  with  details  of  cultivable  land  in  Shimla  Lok  Sabha Constituency, crop-wise;

(c) the details of the number of crop damage cases reported in this region during the last five years along with details of the funds disbursed as compensation in such cases, yearwise;

(d) the total number of farmers benefited from the Central agricultural schemes devised to augment the income of farmers year-wise; and

(e) whether the Government propose to formulate any special policy/package for the hilly agricultural region?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)

(a): State  Government  of  Himachal  Pradesh  have  submitted  that  extreme  weather events such as erratic rainfall, hailstorms, heavy monsoons and crop damages caused by wild animals may have impacted income of farmers.

- (b): As per information provided by Government of Himachal Pradesh, the number of farmers practicing farming  in  Shimla  Parliamentary Constituency  are  260515  with total cropped area of 206563 Ha. The area under major crops are Maize (49456 Ha.), Rice (9933  Ha.),  Wheat  (50277  Ha.),  Barley  (4385  Ha.),  Potato  (7500  Ha.),  Vegetables (41597.5 Ha.).

(c): The State Government is primarily responsible for providing relief measures in the event of natural calamities. For this purpose, financial assistance is available through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF,  is  considered  from  the  National  Disaster  Response  Fund  (NDRF)  in  cases  of severe natural calamities, based on a Memorandum submitted by the State Government and assessment by an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) . For the financial year 202526, the allocation under SDRF for Himachal Pradesh is ₹397.60 crore as the Central share and ₹44.00 crore as the State share, and both instalments of the Central share amounting to ₹397.60 crore have already been released.

As reported by the State Government, no crop damage cases were reported in the Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency during 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2024-25. In 2023-24, a total of 2,564 crop damage cases were reported and relief amounting to ₹136.72 lakh was disbursed under SDRF/NDRF. In 2025-26, 356 crop damage cases have been reported so far.

Further, under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), insurance support has   been provided to farmers. From 2020-21 to 2024-25 (as on 31.12.2025), total claims of  ₹376.79  crore  have  been  paid  against  5,79,605  farmer  applications  in  Himachal Pradesh. Out of this, ₹47.58 crore has   been paid to 54,935 farmer applications in Shimla district, providing financial protection to farmers against crop losses. Year-wise details of claims paid, and farmer applications benefitted under PMFBY for Himachal Pradesh (as on 31.12.2025) are as follows:

| Year    |   Paid Claims (Rs. In Crore) | Application Benefitted (In No.)   |
|---------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 2020-21 |                        84.86 | 167091                            |
| 2021-22 |                        77.77 | 117916                            |
| 2022-23 |                        68.04 | 138727                            |
| 2023-24 |                       140.39 | 127676                            |
| 2024-25 |                         5.73 | 28195                             |
| Total   |                       376.79 | 5,79,605                          |

(d): The Government has launched Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) in  2019  for  providing  support  to    landholding  farmers  of  Rs.  6000  per  year  in  3  equal installments. So far, Rs. 373.32 crore has been disbursed in  22 instalments to eligible farmers in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh under the scheme. Out of this, during FY 2025-26 (December-March),  an  amount  of  Rs.  16.37  crore  was  disbursed  through  the  22 nd instalment to 81,852 eligible farmers in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

As  reported  by  State  Government,  the  total  number  of  farmers  of  Shimla Constituency benefitted from central agricultural schemes year wise are:

| Year    |   No. of farmers benefitted(Shimla Constituency) |
|---------|--------------------------------------------------|
| 2021-22 |                                            36163 |
| 2022-23 |                                            39207 |
| 2023-24 |                                            39791 |
| 2024-25 |                                            42829 |
| 2025-26 |                                            47443 |

(e): The  Government  of  India  is  implementing  several  Central  Sector  and  Centrally Sponsored Schemes and programmes/schemes aimed at increasing income of farmers across the country including Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. The major schemes/ programmes being  implemented  by  Department  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  is  placed  at Annexure.

## Major schemes/programmes initiated by DA&FW

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

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## Annexure