(a) whether the Government proposes to provide incentives to the farmers for their production on the lines of the bail out package provided to the industrial sector to deal with the economic slowdown;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the reasons for the decline in the production of pulses and oilseeds in the country and the steps taken to increase their production; and
(d) the steps proposed to be taken by the Government to bring all the farmers under the cover of Minimum Support Price?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K.V. THOMAS)
(a) & (b): Government of India has been implementating various crop development schemes of
National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Macro Management Mode of Agriculture (MMA), Rashtriya
Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Integrated Oilseeds, Pulses, Maize and Oilpalm (ISOPOM), Accelerated
Pulses Production Programme (A3P), Mini Mission-II of Technology Mission on Cotton, Mini Mission-II
of Jute Technology Mission, extending Green Revolution to Eastern India, organizing 60,000 pulses &
oil seeds villages in rainfed areas etc. for increasing the production and productivity of crops.
Under these schemes, assistance is provided to the farmers on various inputs like seeds, agriculture
implements, water saving devices, Integrated pest management, transfer of crop production and plant
protection technology through demonstrations and training of farmers and extension workers etc.
(c): Pulses and Oil seeds are primarily rainfed crop taken on marginal land. Decline in
production of pulses and oilseeds are mainly attributed to unfavourable weather conditions.
However, the production of pulses and oil seeds has increased from 11.07 million tonnes and
18.44 million tonnes in 2000-01 to 14.54 million tonnes and 24.93 million tonnes respectively
in 2009-10 (4th Advance Estimates). To increase production of pulses and oilseeds, the
Government of India has been implementating schemes of National Food Security Mission (NFSM),
Macro Management Mode of Agriculture (MMA), Integrated Oilseeds, Pulses, Maize and Oilpalm
(ISOPOM), Accelerated Pulses Production Programme (A3P), and organizing 60,000 pulses & oil
seeds villages in rainfed areas.
(d): In order to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce with a view to
encourage higher investment and production, Minimum Support Prices are declared for Kharif
crops and Rabi crops every year by the Government of India. Apart from NAFED, Central
Warehousing Corporation and National Consumers` Cooperative Federation have been
nominated as Central procurement agencies for Pulses crops.