MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a) to (e): The NCRB under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, compiles and disseminates information on suicides, including profile of suicide victims classified according to profession, in its publication titled ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’ every calendar year. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not compile data relating to the suicide by farmers throughout the world.
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These Reports on suicides upto 2014, are available at its website. The Report for the year 2015 has not been published yet. As per ADSI Reports for the years 2013 and 2014, the total number of suicide in the country was 1,34,799 and 1,31,666 in 2013 and 2014 respectively. The total number of suicides of farmers and agricultural labourers due to various reasons in the country was 11,772 and 12,360 respectively
Agriculture, including agricultural indebtedness, being a State subject, the State Governments take appropriate measures for development of agriculture in the State. However, Government of India supplements the efforts of States through appropriate policy measures and budgetary support.
Disbursement of relief to the farmers who lose their crops in various parts of the country is implemented by the State Governments. For such purposes, the States have been made available funds under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). While SDRF ensures ready availability of funds with the States for taking immediate measures in the wake of natural calamities, assistance from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is, over and above SDRF, for natural calamities of severe nature and is considered on the basis of memorandum received from the State Governments in accordance with established procedure keeping in view the laid items and norms of expenditure for assistance from NDRF/SDRF. The assistance from SDRF and NDRF is in the form of relief and not compensation. Distribution of relief in the ground rests with the State Government.
The strategy of the Government is to focus on farmers’ welfare by making farming viable. Farm viability is possible, when cost of cultivation is reduced, yields per unit of farm are increased and farmers get remunerative prices on their produce. The Department has been implementing various schemes to meet this objective, viz.
(i) Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme by which the farmers can know the major and minor nutrients available in their soils which will ensure judicious use of fertiliser application and thus save money of farmers. The balanced use of fertiliser will also enhance productivity and ensure higher returns to the farmers.
(ii) Neem Coated Urea is being promoted to regulate urea use, enhance its availability to the crop and reduce cost of fertilizer application. The entire quantity of domestically manufactured urea is now neem coated. From the current year (i.e. 2016), the urea that is imported would also be neem coated.
(iii) Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is being implemented with a view to promote organic farming in the country. This will improve soil health and organic matter content and increase net income of the farmer so as to realise premium prices.
(iv) The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) is being implemented to expand cultivated area with assured irrigation, reduce wastage of water and improve water use efficiency.
(v) National Agriculture Market scheme (e-NAM) was approved on 1.7.2015 with a budget allocation of Rs. 200 crore to be implemented during 2015-16 to 2017-18. The releases of grants under the scheme are made on the basis of completion of 3 reform pre-requisites i.e. Single Trading License, Single License Fee and Creation of e-Platform for Trading. The scheme was launched on 14.04.2016 in 8 States viz. Gujarat, Telengana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand covering 21 markets. As of now 23 markets have been integrated.
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(vi) Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is being implemented from Kharif 2016 season. PMFBY has addressed all the shortcomings in the earlier schemes and is available to the farmers at very low rates of premium. This scheme would provide insurance cover for all stages of the crop cycle including post-harvest risks in specified instances.
(vii) The Government provides interest subvention of 3% on short-term crop loans up to Rs.3.00 lakh. Presently, loan is available to farmers at an interest rate of 7% per annum, which gets reduced to 4% on prompt repayment. Further, under Interest Subvention Scheme 2015-16, in order to provide relief to the farmers on occurrence of natural calamities, the interest subvention of 2% shall continue to be available to banks for the first year on the restructured amount. The benchmark for initiating relief measures by banks has also been reduced to 33% crop loss, in line with the National Disaster Management Framework.
(viii) In addition, the Government is implementing several Centrally Sponsored Schemes viz. National Food Security Mission (NFSM); Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH); National Mission on Oilseeds & Oil Palm (NMOOP); National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA); National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology (NMAET) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
The Government fixes Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of various crops considering a number of factors which also include the cost of production. MSP for all Kharif crops of 2016-17 season has been increased. Further, to incentivise cultivation of pulses and oilseeds, Government has announced bonus over and above their respective MSPs.
Further the Government undertakes procurement of wheat and paddy under its ‘MSP operations’. In addition, Government implements Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) for procurement of agricultural and horticultural commodities not covered under the Minimum Price Support Scheme on the request of State/UT Government. The MIS is implemented in order to protect the growers of these commodities from making distress sale in the event of bumper crop when the prices tend to fall below the economic level/cost of production.
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