Lok Sabha Question No. 1534 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-08
Subject: Development of Agriculture Sector
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: MEHBOOBA MUFTI

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1534

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 8 TH   DECEMBER, 2015

## DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE SECTOR

1534.        MS. MEHBOOBA MUFTI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government had constituted a Commission for suggesting ways and means to sort out the problems being faced by the agriculture sector in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the follow up action taken by the Government to implement the major recommendations of the Commission for development of the agriculture sector;
- (d) the achievement made so far in this regard; and
- (e) the mechanism put in place to monitor/oversee the development of agriculture sector?

## ANSWER

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

कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्राऱय में राज्य मंत्री (SHRI  MOHANBHAI  KUNDARIA)

- (a)  &  (b)    Government  had  constituted  a  National  Commission  on  Farmers  under  the Chairmanship of Shri Sompal in the year 2004, which was   subsequently reconstituted under the Chairmanship of Prof. M.S. Swaminathan vide Resolution No. 8-2/2003-Policy (ES) dated 18.11.2004.

The Commission submitted five reports to the Government. The major recommendations of the Commission contained in the five reports were included in the 'Draft National Policy for Farmers'; submitted by the Commission itself.

Based  on  the  'Draft  National  Policy  for  Farmers'  submitted  by  the  Commission,  the Government approved the 'National Policy for Farmers, 2007' (NPF 2007). The NPF-2007 aims to  improve  economic  viability  of  farming  and  increase  net  income  of  farmers.  The  Policy provisions in NPF-2007 include, inter-alia,  (i) asset reforms in respect of land, water, livestock, fisheries and bio-resources; (ii) supply of good quality seeds and disease-free planting material, (iii) issue of soil health passbooks to the farmers and integrated pest management system; (iv) region and crop specific implements and machinery; (v) support services for women; (vi) timely, adequate and easy reach of institutional credit at reasonable interest rates and farmer-friendly insurance instruments; (vii) support services and inputs like application of frontier technologies;

(viii)  agricultural  bio-security  system;  (ix)  use  of  Information  and  Communication  Technology (ICT) and setting up of farm schools to revitalize agricultural extension; (x) coverage of farmers under  a  comprehensive  national  social  security  scheme;  (xi)  effective  implementation  of Minimum Support Price (MSP) across the country and establishing community foodgrain banks; (xii) development of agricultural market infrastructure and terminal markets for agriculture; (xiii) curriculum  reforms  in  agricultural  universities;  (xiv)  special  categories  of  farming  like  organic farming and contract farming; (xv) rural non-farm employment initiative for farm households; and (xvi) integrated approach for rural energy, etc.

(c) & (d): An  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  was  set  up  under  the  Chairmanship  of  the Principal Adviser in the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation for preparation of a Plan of Action  for  Operationalisation  of  the  National  Policy  for  Farmers,  2007.  The  Committee comprised officers  of  Central  Ministries/Departments  concerned  as  members.    Another  InterMinisterial  Committee  was  set  up  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Joint  Secretary  (Policy), Department of  Agriculture  &  Cooperation  to  monitor  the  progress  of  implementation  of  these 201  action  points.  The  Plan  of  Action  (PoA)  for  operationalisation  of  policy  provisions  was circulated in October, 2008 to different Ministries/Departments and State/UTs Governments for taking necessary follow up action.

Of the 201  number  of  action points identified,  192  number  have  already  been implemented as of date.

(e): The schemes/programmes being implemented by the Central and State Governments have within their guidelines inbuilt mechanism to monitor/oversee the agriculture sector. Further, the Department has initiated action to revisit the existing policy, which is now almost 8 years old.

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