Question : Committee on Farmers Income

(a) whether the Committee appointed by the Government to prepare the report on doubling farmers’ income has submitted its report and if so, the salient features of the recommendations of the Committee;

(b) whether the Committee has also recommend for any institutional mechanism to review and monitor implementation of various schemes to realise the goal and to examine progress of the said target and if so, the details thereof;

(c) the expenditure likely to be incurred to achieve the target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022;

(d) whether the Government has taken serious note on the distress of Paddy farmers in Tamil Nadu due to low support price and huge difference between MSP and the cost of inputs; and

(e) if so, the extent by which MSP for paddy is likely to be increased?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã ??? ????? ?????? ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ À㕾㠽ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) to (c): The Government has set a target of doubling of farmers’ income by the year 2022. The Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Executive Officer, National Rainfed Area Authority, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare to examine issues relating to doubling of farmers’ income and recommend a strategy to achieve doubling of farmers’ income in real terms by the year 2022.

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At present, thirteen draft volumes of ‘Strategy for Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022’ prepared by the Committee have been uploaded on the website of this Department (http://agricoop.nic.in/doubling-farmers) for seeking public opinion.

(d) & (e): Government fixes Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) of 22 mandated agricultural crops including paddy and fair and remunerative price for sugarcane on the recommendation of Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering the views of State Governments and Central Ministries/Departments concerned and other relevant factors.

Government has increased the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) of all kharif crops including Paddy for 2018-19 Season. This decision of the Government is a historic one as it redeems the promise of the pre-determined principle of fixing the MSPs at a level of at least 150 percent of the cost of production announced by the Union Budget for 2018-19.

The Government has increased the MSP of Paddy (common) by Rs. 200/- per quintal and fixed at Rs. 1750/- per quintal and Paddy (Grade A) by Rs. 180/- per quintal and fixed at Rs. 1770/- per quintal for 2018-19 season as against Rs. 1550/- per quintal and Rs. 1590/- per quintal respectively for 2017-18 season. The MSPs for 2018-19 for Paddy provides adequate margin over the cost of production for farmers including the farmers of Tamil Nadu.






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