MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI SHARAD PAWAR)
(a): According to statistics of gross capital formation compiled by Central Statistical Organisation
(CSO), the total investment in agriculture including allied sectors of forestry, logging and fishing,
measured in terms of gross capital formation(GCF) increased in real terms (at 1993-94 prices) from Rs
15,249 crore in 1993-94 to Rs.24,186 crore in 2003-04. The agriculture land which is a major
component of land resources fluctuated around 183 million hectares from 1994-95 onwards.
(b): The position of total investment in terms of GCF in agriculture and credit facilities extended to
farmers in the last three years is given below:
Trends in Investment (Gross Capital Formation) and Credit Facilities
Year GCF at 1993-94 Credit Disbursement prices (Crore)(Apr.-Mar.) (Rs. In crore)
2002-03 21500 69560
2003-04 4186 86981.00
2004-05 N.A. 115242.81
2005-06 N.A. 81679.58(upto September, 2005)
Source: CSO & NABARD.
The target of agricultural credit flow for the year 2004-05 was fixed at Rs. 1,05,000.00 crore against
which the achievement made was Rs. 1,15,242.81 crore. For the year 2005-06, the target is fixed at Rs.
1,42,000.00 crore and the achievement made so far upto 30-9-2005 is Rs. 81679.58 crore (57.52%).
As regards, the agricultural land in the country, it has remained more or less at the same
level. The latest State-wise information available for last three years is given in the Annexure.
(c): The Government has taken number of initiatives which include multi-pronged strategy to
address several issues in the agricultural sector. A series of policy initiatives has been taken in
several vital areas like credit, irrigation facilities, crop diversification, marketing infrastructure,
horticulture, etc. to enhance production and productivity. The Government has underscored the
importance of efforts aimed at turning the focus of commercial banks, regional rural banks and
cooperative banks towards providing credit, especially production credit, to farm households.
The other areas for higher investment include micro irrigation technology comprising drip and
sprinkler irrigation. National Horticulture Mission has been taken up with focus on backward and
forward linkages, and development / strengthening of agricultural marketing infrastructure,
grading and standardization.
(d): To improve investment in agriculture, steps have been taken to raise public investment in
irrigation projects by increasing the outlay on the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme
(AIBP) from Rs. 2800.00 crore in 2004-05 to Rs. 4800.00 crore in 2005-06. Similarly, a sum of
Rs. 400.00 crore has been provided in the Union Budget 2005-06 for promoting micro irrigation.
A Comprehensive Credit Policy was announced by the Government on 18-6-2004 in
order to double agriculture credit in next three years and to provide debt relief to the farmers
affected by natural calamities. Several policy initiatives like broadening the scope of Kissan
Credit Cards and revision in the norms of fixing scale of finance have been taken to meet
realistic need of the farmers. A package providing for restructuring debts of farmers in distress
and in arrears have been put in to operation that provide rescheduling of outstanding loans over a
period of five years including moratorium of two years.
ANNEXURE
State wise Agricultural Land/Cultivable land for the years
from 2000-01 to 2002-03
(000 Hectares)
State 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03(P)
Andhra Pradesh 15841 15816 15778
Assam 3224 3225 3225
Bihar 6651 6642 6641
Chhattisgarh 5608 5612 5600
Gujarat 12354 12357 12357
Haryana 3783 3776 3735
Himachal Pradesh 804 801 806
Jammu & Kashmir 1050 1050 1050
Jharkhand 4184 4184 4184
Karnataka 12916 12910 12908
Kerala 2393 2382 2381
Madhya Pradesh 17278 17336 17373
Maharashtra 21125 21196 21196
Orissa 7473 7473 7473
Punjab 4312 4312 4312
Rajasthan 25646 25649 25633
Tamil Nadu 8273 8265 8251
Uttaranchal 1416 1416 1416
Uttar Pradesh 19389 19334 19315
West Bengal 5899 5933 5854
Other States/UTs# 3453 3326 3356
All India 183072 182997 182845
Note: #Other States/UTs include Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, A&N Islands, Chandigarh,
D&N Haveli, Delhi, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry.
P – Provisional.
