Question : Migration of Farm Workers

(a) the percentage of existing arable area out of the total land in the country, State-wise;

(b) whether the small farmers/farm workers are migrating from rural areas to urban areas due to shrinking operational holdings of agricultural land in various parts of the country;

(c) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto; and

(d) the measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to bring more area under cultivation and increase agricultural production and to check migration of farm workers to urban areas?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

‡ãðŠãäÓã ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ À㕾㠽ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIA )

(a): As per report on Land Use Statistics for 2012-13 (latest available) the State-wise percentage of existing arable area out of the total land in the country is given in the annexure.

(b) & (c): Migration of people, including small farmers/farm workers from rural areas to urban areas is a natural phenomenon in the development process.

As per latest NSS Survey Report No. 533 on Migration (2007-08), migration is a multi-directional phenomenon from rural to urban, rural to rural, urban to urban and urban to rural areas for different socio-economic reasons. As per this report, nearly 57 per cent of urban households migrated from rural areas whereas 29 per cent of rural households migrated from urban areas. Main reasons for migration are; search of better

livelihood opportunities, search of education and employment etc. As per latest Agriculture Census for 2010-11, average size of the operational holdings has declined from 1.33 hectares in 2000-01 to 1.15 hectares in 2010-11. The important reasons for shrinking of size of agricultural land holdings are fragmentation of land due to inheritance and diversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.

To reduce distress migration from rural areas to urban areas, Government is implementing MGNREGA to provide employment to poor for minimum of 100 days in a year and promote opportunities for on-farm and off-farm employment by strengthening infrastructure and agriculture development.

(d): Agriculture being a State subject, it is primarily the responsibility of State Governments to take necessary steps for the holistic development of agriculture. However, Government of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments through various crop development Schemes/Programmes and it has taken several steps to increase total cropped area and to increase agricultural production through increased investment, improving farm practices, rural infrastructure, areas under protective irrigation, delivery of credit, technology, other inputs, extension, marketing etc.

Further, Government has taken measures to retain farmers in agriculture and improve returns to farmers by enhancing institutional credit to farmers; promotion of scientific warehousing infrastructure for increasing shelf life of agricultural produce; improved access to irrigation through Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana(PMKSY); provision of Price Stabilization Fund(PSF) to mitigate price volatility in agricultural produce, Scheme for Soil Health Cards; setting up of Agri-tech Infrastructure Fund for making farming competitive and profitable; developing commercial organic farming in North East Region, etc.