Lok Sabha Question No. 5174 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Enhancement in Agricultural Infrastructure
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. M P Abdussamad Samadani

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5174

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24 TH  MARCH, 2026

## ENHANCEMENT IN AGRICULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

5174. DR. M P ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS' WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  the details of fluctuations in agriculture caused by climate change;
- (b)  the  plans  to  include  more  crops  in  the  Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  system announced for major crops;
- (c) the details of steps taken to reduce delays in settling insurance claims for farmers,
- (d) the details of steps taken to extend the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana scheme to more gram panchayats; and
- (e) the details of steps taken by the Government to improve water storage facilities for the agricultural sector in rural areas?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ  मंũी (SHRI  RAMNATH THAKUR)

- (a): Climate change and extreme weather events leads to both biotic and abiotic stress on crops,  leading  to  fluctuations  in  agricultural  production  in  some  crops  in  some  years. However, due to various climate adaptation measures and schemes undertaken by the Government, the country's food grain production has shown a steady increase over the past ten years as below:

## Total Food Grain Production in the Country

| Year                |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |
|---------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Total (Lakh tonnes) |   2515.42 |    2751.1 |   2850.14 |   2852.09 |   2975.04 |   3107.42 |   3156.16 |   3296.87 |   3322.98 |   3577.32 |

(b):  Government fixes Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated agricultural crops based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, after considering the views of State Governments and concerned Ministries/Departments. While recommending  MSPs,  the  Commission  takes  into  account  factors  such  as  cost  of production, demand-supply conditions, domestic and international prices, inter-crop price parity, and a minimum margin of 50 percent over the cost of production. The inclusion of crops under the MSP framework depends on various considerations, including their shelf life,  extent  of  cultivation,  role  as  items  of  mass  consumption,  and  importance  for  food security.

(c):  Several steps have been taken by the Government to reduce delays in the settlement of insurance claims under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and to ensure timely and transparent disbursal to farmers. A centralized digital platform, namely the National Crop Insurance  Portal,  has  been  developed  for  end-to-end  management  of  the  scheme, including farmer enrolment, data management, and direct transfer of claims into farmers' bank  accounts.  A  dedicated  'Digiclaim  Module',  integrated  with  the  Public  Finance Management System, has been operationalized to monitor and expedite claim processing, with  provisions  for  automatic  calculation  and  levy  of  penalties  for  delays  by  insurance companies. Further, the Central share of premium subsidy has been delinked from that of States  to  enable  proportionate  claim  settlement,  and  States  have  been  mandated  to deposit their share in advance through Escrow Accounts. Technological interventions such as the use of the  CCE-Agri App for crop cutting data, integration  of land records, and tranche-based  claim  settlement  have  also  been  introduced  to  improve  efficiency  and ensure timely settlement of claims.

(d) & (e): The Government is also implementing Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) since 2015-16 to enhance access to irrigation and improve water use efficiency at  the  farm  level.  Under  PMKSY,  the  'Har  Khet  Ko  Pani  (HKKP)'  component  is  being implemented to expand irrigation coverage, including in rural areas and Gram Panchayats, through creation and restoration of irrigation infrastructure. The schemes of Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) and Repair, Renovation & Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies have been subsumed under PMKSY-HKKP and are being implemented across States with Central Assistance provided to support such projects. The scheme supports creation of irrigation potential and promotes equitable distribution of water, thereby facilitating wider coverage.

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