Question : EMPLOYMENT IN FARM SECTOR

(a) whether the Government has taken note of the employment opportunities offered by farm sector in the country;

(b) if so, the details of employment generated by the farm sector during the 10th and 11th Plan period alongwith the schemes/programmes undertaken for the purpose;

(c) whether any targets have been set for generation of employment opportunities during the 11th Plan period;

(d) if so, the details and the outcome thereof, so far;

(e) whether new schemes/programmes have been undertaken to further improve employability in the farm sector; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI SHARAD PAWAR)

(a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 472 DUE FOR REPLY ON 6TH SEPTEMBER, 2011.

(a) to (f): The Eleventh Plan document of the Planning Commission has estimated that agriculture has contributed 8.8 million job opportunities in the 11- year period from 1993-94 to 2004-05 and projected to contribute no increase in the Eleventh Plan and a net decrease of 4 million agricultural workers in the period 2006-07 to 2016-17. The Eleventh Plan (2007-12) aims at generation of 58 million work opportunities in high growth sectors so that the unemployment rate falls to 4.83 per cent by the end of the Plan.

There is already surplus labour which is underemployed in agriculture. Main employment issue in the agriculture sector is increase in farm labour income, and not the creation of a larger number of employed workers. Primary focus of the programmes of Ministry of Agriculture is to increase production and productivity in agriculture. No schemes/programmes are implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture exclusively to improve the employability in farm sector.