MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
‡ãðŠãäÓã ??? ????? ?????? ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ À㕾㠽ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)
(a) & (b): The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs compiles and disseminates information on suicides, in its publication titled ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’ (ADSI). These Reports on suicides are available upto 2015 on its website. The Reports for the year 2016 onwards have not been published yet. As per the ADSI Reports for the year 2015 and provisional data as provided by NCRB for the year 2016, the total number of suicides by farmers and agricultural labourers in the country State-wise, 2013 onward is Annexed.
As per NCRB Report of 2015, ‘Bankruptcy or Indebtedness’ and ‘Farming Related Issues’ are reported as major causes of suicides among farmers/ cultivators. Other prominent causes of farmers/ cultivators suicides are family problems, illness, etc. ‘Family Problems’ followed by ‘Illness’ are reported as major causes of suicides among agricultural labourers.
(c): No, Madam.
(d): A guideline has been issued to State Governments/ UTs to provide institutional mechanism for strengthening the policy & advisory support and review & monitoring support for growth of agriculture sector and welfare of farmers. The State Governments/ UTs have been advised to constitute District level review & monitoring committee and state level review & advisory committee to achieve welfare of farmers.
The Committee would also closely monitor the developing field situation and enable prior detection of indigence and suicidal tendencies amongst farmers and respond with alacrity and needed sharpness to prevent such an eventuality.
(e): A National Conference on “Agriculture-2022 – Doubling Farmers’ Income” was organized on 19th-20th February, 2018 at National Agricultural Science Complex, New Delhi in which participants comprising farmers, farmers’ associations, scientists, economists, academics, trade and professional associations, policy makers and officers serving and retired from Central as well as State Governments participated. The main concern during the conference was to build a consensus around appropriate recommendations that will align with the vision of doubling of farmers’ income by the year 2022 and to arrive at practical solutions for the benefit of farmers in the country. Some of the suggestions received during the conference are converting Waste to Wealth in mission mode, promote post-harvest infrastructure including cold chain, contract farming to be promoted and incentivized, widespread implementation of One-Nation One-Market, upgrade 22000 rural haats into Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), encourage Farmer Producers Organizations, notify agroforestry produce including timber/ bamboo as agri-produce, model State/UT Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion & Facilitation) Act, 2017 to be adopted in true spirit, etc. The outcomes arising from the conference and the suggestions received would be defined and aligned with the strategy for doubling farmers income by the year 2022.
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(f): Agrarian distress as manifest from large number of farmers living below the poverty (BPL) line and unfortunate incidents of suicides can be addressed by enabling the farmers to increase their income. Agriculture is state subject. However, the Government is aiming to reorient the agriculture sector by focusing on an income-centeredness in addition to pure production centeredness approach. The Department has, therefore, been implementing various schemes for farmers including those farmers who have small agricultural holdings.
In order to discourage distress sale by farmers and to encourage them to store their produce in warehouses against warehouse receipts, the benefit of interest subvention scheme has been extended to small and marginal farmers having Kisan Credit Card for a further period of upto six months post the harvest at the same rate as available to crop loan against negotiable warehouse receipt in Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) accredited warehouses.
Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) for holistic growth of the horticulture sector subsidy is provided to farm size limited to 4 hectare, in majority of its interventions. Also, small and marginal farmers are mobilized to form Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)/ Farmer Interest Group (FIG) for aggregation and economies of scale. In certain components like cultivation of flowers in open fields, there is a provision to provide higher rate of assistance for small and marginal farmers for their upliftment.
Under National Food Security Mission (NFSM), at least 33% of funds are earmarked for small and marginal farmers. Under the Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) a suitable platform has been provided for converging all activities for inclusive growth of agricultural mechanization by providing a ‘single window’ approach for implementation, with a special focus on small & marginal farmers. Under the Per Drop More Crop (micro irrigation) at least 50% of the allocation is to be utilized for small & marginal farmers.
Joint Liability Groups an informal group comprising 4 to 10 farmers coming together for the purpose of availing bank loan on individual basis or through group mechanism against mutual guarantee also exists. The Scheme for financing of Joint Liability Groups of Tenant Farmers was started by NABARD in 2005-06. The announcement in the Union Budget 2014-15 for financing of 5 lakh Joint Liability Groups of ‘Bhoomi Heen Kisan’ (landless farmers) has given further credence to efforts of NABARD in innovating and reaching out to the landless farmers through JLG scheme of financing.
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