Question : Financial Condition of Farmers

(a) the number of farmers/farmer households in the country, State/UT-wise;

(b) whether the Government is contemplating to conduct a door to door survey for identifying financial conditions of farmers and agriculture related problems being faced by them and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether more than 33 per cent farmers in the country are living below poverty line and another 30 per cent under debt and if so, the details thereof, State and UT-wise;

(d) whether the Government is implementing various schemes for promotion of agriculture and mitigate the plight of farmers and improve their financial condition in the country and if so, the details and the outcome thereof during the last three years;

(e) whether the Government proposes to provide hands on training for farmers in the Israel model of agriculture to improve and develop farming sector and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard; and

(f) the area of land on which old techniques like plough by oxen are used for cultivation and the area of land for which irrigation facilities are not available, State and UT-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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(a) to (c): As per the “Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households” conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) during its 70th round, the number of agricultural households is estimated to be 90.2 million in rural areas in the agricultural year July 2012 - June 2013. As per the Survey results, about 51.9 per cent of the agricultural households were reported to be indebted during the reference period. State/ UT-wise details of the same are given in Annexure-I.


Contd….2/-

-2-


Under the Survey, the NSSO conducts door to door visit/ survey of the agricultural households covered under the sample frame.

The number of farmers who are below the poverty line (BPL) are not separately estimated in the aforementioned Survey. However, as per the estimates of the Expert Group constituted by the erstwhile Planning Commission, based on NSSO’s periodical survey on consumption expenditure, population living below poverty line in rural areas was estimated to be 25.7 per cent in 2011-12.

(d): With a view to improve the economic condition of farmers in the country and promote agriculture, various schemes are being implemented by the Government. These include, inter-alia, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Soil Health Card, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Neem Coated Urea, creation of a unified national agriculture market (e-NAM), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), etc. As a result of implementation of these schemes and other focussed interventions by the Union and State Governments, foodgrains production in the country has increased from 252.02 million tonnes and 251.57 million tonnes in 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively to an estimated level of 275.68 million tonnes in 2016-17 (Fourth Advance Estimates).

(e): Government is implementing Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plan 2015-18 under which Centre of Excellence (CoE) are being established with technical cooperation from Israel experts. The main objective of establishment of these CoEs is to demonstrate technologies, impart training and produce planting material. The Israeli experts travel to these centres and impart hands-on training to field staff and farmers.

(f): As per the Input Survey 2011-12 conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the estimated number of operational holdings using animal operated implements, is given in the table below:

S. No. Type of Animal Operated Implements Number of Operational Holdings using the Implements
1. Wooden Plough 54.96
2. Mould Board Plough 24.28
(Million)








State/UT-wise net un-irrigated area in the country as per the latest Land-Use Statistics 2014-15 is given in Annexure-II.