Lok Sabha Question No. 1590 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-26
Subject: Socio-Economic Conditions of Farmers
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE, J. JAYASINGH THIYAGARAJ NATTERJEE, BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA, BHARAT SINGH, GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ, POONAM  MAHAJAN, RAHUL KASWAN, PASHUPATI NATH SINGH, RAJESH VERMA, VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK, SUNIL KUMAR SINGH, C. MAHENDRAN, (ADV.) JOICE GEORGE, PARAYAMPARANBIL KUTTAPPAN BIJU, M. CHANDRAKASI

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1590

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  26 TH  JULY, 2016

## SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF FARMERS

1590.  DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE :

SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE:

SHRI J.J.T. NATTERJEE:

SHRI BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA:

SHRI BHARAT SINGH:

DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN:

SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

SHRI PASHUPATI NATH SINGH:

SHRI RAJESH VERMA:

SHRI VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI C. MAHENDRAN:

ADV. JOICE GEORGE:

SHRI P.K. BIJU:

SHRI M. CHANDRAKASI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE   ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any survey to ascertain the social and economic  conditions  of  farmers  and  categorised  them  into  various  groups  including below poverty line farmers and landless farmers and if so, the details and the outcome thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether  there  has  been  an  adverse  impact  on  agricultural  operation  due  to shortage/non-availability of farm workers during harvest seasons and if so, the details thereof and the remedial measures taken by the Government thereon;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  dovetail  agricultural  activities/works  with the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act  to  enhance  general wage level  of  agricultural  workers/  labourers,  provide  livelihood  security  to  them  and ensure their availability in the farm sector in the country and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (d) the new initiatives/policies undertaken/proposed to be taken by the Government for  the  welfare  of  farmers  and  ameliorate  their  socio-economic  conditions  in  the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

## ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã  ½ãñâ  Àã·¾ã  ½ãâ¨ããè AHLUWALIA )

(  SHRI  S.S.

(a): The  National  Sample  Survey  Office  (NSSO)  conducted  Situation  Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households during January-December, 2013 in the rural areas  of  the  country  for  the  reference  period  of  the  agricultural  year  July  2012-June 2013.  The results of the survey have been presented by different size classes of land possessed. However this survey did not classify the farmers as below poverty line and landless.

Based  on  this  survey,  a  statement  on  estimated  average  monthly  income  per agricultural  household  for  the  agricultural  year  July,  2012-June  2013  is  given  at  the Annexure.

(b): As reported by the Department of Rural Development, most of the works under the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act  (MGNREGA)  take place  during  the  lean  agricultural  season.  Moreover,  according  to  the  Population Census  data,  the  total  number  of  Agricultural  workers  in  the  country  increased  from 234.1 million in 2001 to 263.1 million in 2011. Hence there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that harvesting is adversely affected due to non-availability of farm workers.

- (c): Yes, Madam.

Under  the  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Act,  the Government  has  issued  guidelines  that  60  %  of  the  works  need  to  be  focused  on agriculture and allied activities.

(d): In  addition  to  the  existing  Schemes  of  the  Government,  like,  National  Food Security Mission, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, National Mission on Oilseeds & Oil Palm, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, National Mission on  Agricultural  Extension  &  Technology,  Unified  National  Agricultural  Markets  and Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana,  etc.,  Government  has  initiated  several  schemes  to promote  agriculture  and  to  improve  the  socio-economic  conditions  of  farmers  in  the country, some of which are given below:

-  Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Soil Health Card Scheme, Paramparagat Krishi  Vikas  Yojana,  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana,  Crop  Diversification Programme etc. has been launched for welfare of the farmers and to improve the productivity.
-  The  Research  Institutes  under  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR) have developed several low cost tools, implements and machines appropriate for various categories of farm holdings.
-  To  adopt  technically  advanced  agricultural  equipments,  farmers  are  provided grants, incentives and financial assistance through the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization, a component of the National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology.

## Annexure

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question Number 1590 due for answer on 26/07/2016

| Estimated average land possessed during   |       |             |             |                        |                           |              |         |          |
|-------------------------------------------|-------|-------------|-------------|------------------------|---------------------------|--------------|---------|----------|
| State/Group of UTs #                      | <0.01 | 0.01 - 0.40 | 0.41 - 1.00 | Size Class 1.01 - 2.00 | (in hectares) 2.01 - 4.00 | 4.01 - 10.00 | 10.00+  | all size |
| Andhra Pradesh                            | 4529  | 4991        | 3838        | 5805                   | 6909                      | 16913        | 21779   | 5979     |
| Arunachal Pradesh                         | 8555  | 942         | 5479        | 14016                  | 14210                     | 12081        | 0       | 10869    |
| Assam                                     | 3959  | 3582        | 5534        | 9089                   | 13202                     | 17612        | 1013974 | 6695     |
| Bihar                                     | 4979  | 2942        | 3005        | 4084                   | 11192                     | 24852        | 34461   | 3558     |
| Chhattisgarh                              | 894   | 3127        | 3710        | 5877                   | 8234                      | 12600        | 30209   | 5177     |
| Gujarat                                   | 6474  | 6141        | 7558        | 7587                   | 9657                      | 14399        | 36040   | 7926     |
| Haryana                                   | 3993  | 8901        | 9855        | 14196                  | 15671                     | 42073        | 128861  | 14434    |
| Himachal Pradesh                          | 2960  | 6316        | 10055       | 10137                  | 23066                     | 20455        | 477938  | 8777     |
| Jammu& Kashmir                            | 7446  | 9795        | 14798       | 12867                  | 49937                     | 10844        | 0       | 12683    |
| Jharkhand                                 | 4799  | 4871        | 4297        | 5208                   | 6278                      | 9563         | 5033    | 4721     |
| Karnataka                                 | 4060  | 7045        | 6252        | 7262                   | 12398                     | 21789        | 35137   | 8832     |
| Kerala                                    | 0     | 8885        | 13998       | 16638                  | 12447                     | 54609        | 228940  | 11888    |
| Madhya Pradesh                            | 3813  | 3304        | 3782        | 5940                   | 8839                      | 19748        | 36149   | 6210     |
| Maharashtra                               | 5059  | 5424        | 5559        | 6751                   | 8341                      | 15865        | 44556   | 7386     |
| Manipur                                   | 21978 | 4452        | 6530        | 13470                  | 13362                     | 29657        | 0       | 8842     |
| Meghalaya                                 | 0     | 13991       | 9424        | 13019                  | 15857                     | 19417        | 0       | 11792    |
| Mizoram                                   | 10249 | 21846       | 6861        | 11424                  | 11252                     | 5472         | 0       | 9099     |
| Nagaland                                  | 4769  | 15197       | 10026       | 7797                   | 6736                      | 13764        | 0       | 10048    |
| Odisha                                    | 5538  | 3732        | 4203        | 6852                   | 12473                     | 17927        | 140604  | 4976     |
| Punjab                                    | 6062  | 7864        | 14219       | 17768                  | 28082                     | 44044        | 90796   | 18059    |
| Rajasthan                                 | 3112  | 5137        | 5380        | 7086                   | 8641                      | 14795        | 27675   | 7350     |
| Sikkim                                    | 9292  | 6945        | 5900        | 10100                  | 14435                     | 15402        | 0       | 6798     |
| Tamil Nadu                                | 6606  | 7087        | 5646        | 6371                   | 10849                     | 18197        | 17602   | 6980     |
| Telangana                                 | 4087  | 3797        | 5409        | 6290                   | 7600                      | 13040        | 8593    | 6311     |
| Tripura                                   | 4514  | 3810        | 5385        | 6739                   | 10060                     | 13918        | 0       | 5429     |
| Uttarakhand                               | 5709  | 2822        | 5649        | 9581                   | 14116                     | 37919        | 64350   | 4701     |
| Uttar Pradesh                             | 3683  | 2724        | 4605        | 8402                   | 15861                     | 22964        | 61605   | 4923     |
| West Bengal                               | 1502  | 3264        | 4385        | 6613                   | 8036                      | 38097        | 12510   | 3980     |
| Group of UTs                              | 3844  | 8987        | 7254        | 8740                   | 14671                     | 10934        | 25340   | 8568     |
| all India                                 | 4561  | 4152        | 5247        | 7348                   | 10730                     | 19637        | 41388   | 6426     |

- **********