Lok Sabha Question No. 316 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-01
Subject: Agricultural Profession
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: KANWAR SINGH TANWAR, JYOTI DHURVE, ANOOP MISHRA, KRISHNAN NARAYANASAMY RAMACHANDRAN

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 316

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 1 ST  DECEMBER, 2015

## AGRICULTURAL PROFESSION

316.   SHRI KANWAR SINGH TANWAR: SHRIMATI JYOTI DHURVE: SHRI ANOOP MISHRA: SHRI K.N.RAMACHANDRAN:

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

- (a) whether  there  have  been  an  acute  shortage  of  agricultural  workers/labourers  in  the agriculture sector during each of the last three years and the current year and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  conducted/proposed  to  conduct  survey  to  assess  the number of farmers/agricultural workers/labourers who have left farming/agricultural profession in the country;
- (c) if so, the details and the results thereof, State-wise along with the main reasons identified for abandoning of farming by the farmers;
- (d) whether  there  are  reports  of  irregularities  in  the  disbursement  of  compensation/relief packages to the farmers in the country, if so, the details thereof and the corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (e) the efforts made by the Government for sustenance and upliftment of farmers/agricultural worker  and  labourers  engaged  in  the  agriculture  sector  and  for  attracting  labourers  to agricultural 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) to (c): As  per  Census  2011,  the  total  number  of  agricultural  workers  in  the  country, comprising of cultivators and agricultural labourers, have increased from 234.1  million (127.3 million cultivators and 106.8 million agricultural labourers) in 2001 to 263.1 million(118.8 million cultivators  and 144.3 million agricultural labourers) in 2011. State/UT-wise number  of agricultural workers is given in Annexure-I.

In  order  to  supplement  their  income,  farmers  particularly,  small  and  marginal  farmers, often  engage  in  non-farm  activities  in  the  rural  sector  under  schemes  like  Mahatma  Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). A study on implementation of MGNREGA has shown that  the  scheme  has  put  competing  demand  on  labour  market  in  the  rural  sector  causing  a temporary shortage of labour for agricultural operations, particularly, during the peak seasons of sowing and harvesting.

(d): State  Governments  are  empowered  to  initiate  immediate  relief  actions  in  the  wake  of natural  calamities.  Government  of  India  supplements  the  efforts  of  state  government  with financial  assistance.  For  undertaking  relief  measures,  funds  are  available  with  the  State Government under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for natural calamities of severe nature and is approved on the basis of Memorandum received from State Government in  accordance  with  established  procedure,  keeping  in  view  items  and  norms  in vogue for assistance. A Crisis  Management Group on drought has also been formed by the Government  to  review  the  situation  with  representatives  of  all  the  line  Departments,  as  and when warranted.

(e): Government  has  taken  several  steps  to  increase  the  profitability  and  employment opportunities  in  the  agriculture  sector  by  improving  farm  practices,  increasing  investment, creating  rural  infrastructure,  increasing  coverage  under  protective  irrigation,  enhancement  of minimum support prices of agricultural commodities, forging appropriate backward and forward linkages, etc.

Furthermore, in order to attract farmers/workers to the agriculture sector a new central scheme, Attracting Rural Youth in Agriculture (ARYA) has been introduced by the Government. It aims to operate through selected Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the country and envisages supporting  and  guiding  rural  youth  towards  income  generating  technologies,  services  and enterprises, which are essentially required in the villages.

## Number of Agricultural Workers in India (in Million)

| S.No.   | State/ UT                        | Cultivators   | Cultivators   | Agricultural Labourers   | Agricultural Labourers   | Total      |           |
|---------|----------------------------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|------------|-----------|
|         |                                  | 2001          | 2011          | 2001                     | 2011                     | 2001       | 2011      |
|         | ALL INDIA                        | 127.31        | 118.81        | 106.78                   | 144.33                   | 234.09     | 263.14    |
| 1       | JAMMU & KASHMIR                  | 1.59          | 1.25          | 0.25                     | 0.55                     | 1.84       | 1.80      |
| 2       | HIMACHAL PRADESH                 | 1.95          | 2.06          | 0.09                     | 0.18                     | 2.04       | 2.24      |
| 3       | PUNJAB                           | 2.07          | 1.93          | 1.49                     | 1.59                     | 3.56       | 3.52      |
| 4       | CHANDIGARH                       | 0.00          | 0.00          | 0.00                     | 0.00                     | 0.00       | 0.00      |
| 5       | UTTARKHAND                       | 1.57          | 1.58          | 0.26                     | 0.40                     | 1.83       | 1.98      |
| 6       | HARYANA                          | 3.02          | 2.48          | 1.28                     | 1.53                     | 4.30       | 4.01      |
| 7       | DELHI                            | 0.04          | 0.03          | 0.02                     | 0.04                     | 0.06       | 0.07      |
| 8       | RAJASTHAN                        | 13.14         | 13.62         | 2.52                     | 4.94                     | 15.66      | 18.56     |
| 9       | UTTAR PRADESH                    | 22.17         | 19.06         | 13.40                    | 19.94                    | 35.57      | 39.00     |
| 10      | BIHAR                            | 8.19          | 7.20          | 13.42                    | 18.35                    | 21.61      | 25.55     |
| 11      | SIKKIM                           | 0.13          | 0.12          | 0.02                     | 0.03                     | 0.15       | 0.15      |
| 12      | ARUNACHAL PRADESH                | 0.28          | 0.30          | 0.02                     | 0.04                     | 0.30       | 0.34      |
| 13      | NAGALAND                         | 0.55          | 0.54          | 0.03                     | 0.06                     | 0.58       | 0.60      |
| 14      | MANIPUR (Excl. 3 Sub- divisions) | 0.38          | 0.57          | 0.11                     | 0.11                     | 0.49       | 0.69      |
| 15      | MIZORAM                          | 0.26          | 0.23          | 0.03                     | 0.04                     | 0.29       | 0.27      |
| 16      | TRIPURA                          | 0.31          | 0.30          | 0.28                     | 0.35                     | 0.59       | 0.65      |
| 17      | MEGHALAYA                        | 0.47          | 0.49          | 0.17                     | 0.20                     | 0.64       | 0.69      |
| 18      | ASSAM                            | 3.73          | 4.06          | 1.26                     | 1.85                     | 4.99       | 5.91      |
| 19      | WEST BENGAL                      | 5.65          | 5.12          | 7.36                     | 10.19                    | 13.01      | 15.31     |
| 20      | JHARKHAND                        | 3.89          | 3.81          | 2.85                     | 4.44                     | 6.74       | 8.25      |
| 21      | ORISSA                           | 4.25          | 4.10          | 5.00                     | 6.74                     | 9.25       | 10.84     |
| 22      | CHHATTISGARH                     | 4.31          | 4.00          | 3.09                     | 5.09                     | 7.40       | 9.09      |
| 23      | MADHYA PRADESH                   | 11.04         | 9.84          | 7.40                     | 12.19                    | 18.44      | 22.03     |
| 24      | GUJARAT                          | 5.80          | 5.45          | 5.16                     | 6.84                     | 10.96      | 12.29     |
| 25      | DAMAN & DIU                      | 0.00          | 0.00          | 0.00                     | 0.00                     | 0.01       | 0.00      |
| 26      | DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI             | 0.04          | 0.03          | 0.01                     | 0.02                     | 0.05       | 0.05      |
| 27      | MAHARASHTRA                      | 11.81         | 12.57         | 10.82                    | 13.49                    | 22.63      | 26.06     |
| 28      | ANDHRA PRADESH                   | 7.86          | 6.49          | 13.83                    | 16.97                    | 21.69      | 23.46     |
| 29      | KARNATAKA                        | 6.88          | 6.58          | 6.23                     | 7.16                     | 13.11      | 13.74     |
| 30      | GOA                              | 0.05          | 0.03          | 0.04                     | 0.03                     | 0.09       | 0.06      |
| 31      | LAKSHADWEEP                      | 0.00          | 0.00          | 0.00                     | 0.00                     | 0.00       | 0.00      |
| 32      | KERALA                           | 0.72          | 0.67          | 1.62                     | 1.32                     | 2.34       | 1.99      |
| 33      | TAMIL NADU                       | 5.12          | 4.25          | 8.64                     | 9.61                     | 0.08       | 13.86     |
| 34 35   | PUDUCHERRY ANDAMAN & NICOBAR     | 0.01 0.02     | 0.01 0.02     | 0.07 0.01                | 0.07 0.00                | 13.76 0.03 | 0.08 0.02 |

Note: The Census 2001 figures for India and Manipur exclude that of Mao Param, Paomata and Purul subdivisions of Senapati district of Manipur.

Source: PCA, Census of India, 2011

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