MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 286 DUE FOR REPLY ON 1ST JANUARY, 2019.
(a): India is the second largest producer of groundnut in the world. As per the Fourth Advance Estimates, the area under groundnut cultivation in the country during 2017-18 is estimated at 49.15 lakh hectares. The first comprehensive assessment of area and production of agricultural crops during whole agriculture year including rabi groundnut is available with the Second Advance Estimates, normally released around mid-February every year. However, as per First Advance Estimates (kharif only), the area under groundnut cultivation in the country during 2018-19 is estimated at 38.90 lakh hectares.
(b) & (c): No Madam, groundnut production in the country has not decreased during the last three years. The State / UT-wise production of groundnut in the country during the last three years and the current year i.e. 2015-16 to 2018-19 (kharif only) are given at the Annexure.
(d) & (e): The Government has launched Centrally Sponsored Scheme “National Mission on Oilseeds & Oil Palm (NMOOP)” in 2014-15 which continued through 2017-18 to augment the availability of vegetable oils and to reduce the import of edible oils by increasing the productivity and production of oilseeds including groundnut. From 2018-19, the NMOOP scheme has been merged with National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and is implemented as NFSM (Oil Seed and Oil Palm (OS&OP)). The scheme is implemented through the State Department of Agriculture/ Horticulture in 28 states. A new sub-scheme, Targeting Rice Fallow Areas (TRFA) was also launched in 15 districts of 6 Eastern states (Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal) in Rabi 2016-17 for utilization of rice fallows for cultivation of pulses and oilseeds.
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Under these schemes, financial assistance is provided to farmers for various components / interventions. The major interventions / components under NFSM-Oilseeds are purchase of breeder seeds, production foundation and certified seeds, distribution of foundation and certified seeds, variety specific targeted seed production, distribution of minikits, plant protection equipments / chemicals, supply of improved farm implements, distribution of sprinkler sets, block demonstrations, farmers and officers training etc. Adoption of cluster approach is advocated for ensuring the participation of all farmers belonging to small / marginal, SC / ST / minority / women categories in a cluster. There is a provision for additional 10% assistance to small / marginal, SC / ST / minority / women farmers group under supply of plant protection equipments, improved farm implements, sprinkler set, etc.
In order to create mass awareness about use of improved varieties and production technology, a National Kisan Mela on Groundnut was organized by Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, Gujarat on 1st October, 2018. The farmers and extension functionaries from groundnut growing states participated in the National Kisan Mela on Groundnut.
In addition, to incentivize farmers for producing groundnut, Government of India has announced a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs.4890/- per quintal for groundnut during 2018-19. Also, the export of groundnut oil in bulk has been allowed without any restrictions with effect from 27.03.2017.
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