Question : Package to Farmers Family

(a) whether farmers commit suicide as the rise in prices of agricultural inputs is not commensurate with the Minimum Support Price for agricultural produce and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Union Government has announced any compensation package and provided assistance to the family members of those farmers who commit suicide or die unnatural death apart from the State Governments’ assistance during the last three years and the current year and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise including North East States;

(c) whether the Government has also provided funds to the State Governments to address the problems and issues of farmers’ suicide during the said period and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise including North East States;

(d) whether cases of suicide by farmers have not come down despite more loan disbursement by banks to farmers during the said period and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken/ proposed to be taken by the Government to set up financial institutions/corporations exclusively for overcoming farmers indebtedness in rural areas of the country; and

(e) whether the Government has constituted monitoring committees in each State to check the suicide by farmers and if so, the details thereof along with the action plan prepared by the Government to address the problem of suicide by farmers in several parts of the country?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

???? ??? ????? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ?????? (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a): Cost of production is one of the important factors in the determination of MSPs. While recommending its Price policy, the CACP considers all costs in a comprehensive manner. The costs include all paid out costs such as those incurred on account of hired human labour,
Contd....2/-


-2-

bullock labour/machine labour, rent paid for leased in land, expenses incurred in cash and kind on the use of material inputs like seeds, fertilizers, manures, irrigation charges, depreciation on implements and farm buildings, interest on working capital, diesel/electricity for operation of pump sets etc, miscellaneous expenses and imputed value of family labour. Hence the costs considered are very comprehensive and based on the methodology recommended by Expert Committees from time to time.

(b) & (c): Agriculture is a state subject. State Governments take appropriate measures for development of agriculture sector and welfare of farmers including payment of compensation to the bereaved families of farmers affected by suicide. However, Union Government supplements the efforts of the states through appropriate policies, schemes/programmes and budgetary support. Various programmes/ schemes for the development of agriculture sector and welfare of farmers, inter-alia, include, National Food Security Mission, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Soil Health Card & Neem Coated Urea, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, Interest Subvention Scheme and National Agriculture Market (e-NAM).

(d): Government has continuously enhanced the budgetary support to the agriculture sector to provide credit to farmers at a reasonable rate of interest. As per the available data from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), overall cases of farmers suicide has gone up from 2013 to 2015 at an all-India level. However, the state/UT wise disaggregated data of the NCRB on farmers’ suicide given in Annexure points to a fall in most States/UTs. No proposal is under consideration of the Government to set up financial institutions/corporations exclusively for overcoming farmers indebtedness in rural areas.

(e): The State Governments/UTs have been advised to constitute Review Committee at district and state level for the welfare of farmers. It is envisaged that the Committee would closely monitor the field situation and would provide inputs for taking remedial measures to check farmers’ suicide.

Suicides owing to economic reasons are best addressed and overcome by enabling the farmers to increase their income in a holistic manner. With this understanding, the Government is targeting to double the income of the farmers by the year 2022. To achieve this, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee to examine various dimensions of farmers’ income and to recommend an appropriate strategy. In the meanwhile, the Government is realigning its interventions to move from production-centric to farmers’ income-centric platform.