Question : Promotion of Agriculture Sector

(a) whether it is a fact that due priority is not given to the agriculture sector and if so, the reasons therefor;

(b) whether the rural economy has been stagnant and volatile due to rising gap between urban and rural areas during the last three years and if so, the facts thereof;

(c) whether there is an urgent need to promote the agriculture sector to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas and if so, the details thereof and the response of the
Government in this regard;

(d) whether the small-scale industries in the agriculture sector will not only boost the local economy but also enhance the prospects of the farming sector and if so, the response of the Union Government in this regard;

(e) whether there is a need to incorporate and promote silviculture, pisciculture along with others, if so, the details thereof; and

(f) the steps taken by the Government to promote agriculture and to take positive decisions in the interest of the farmers?

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 (f): No Madam. Due priority is being given to the agriculture sector. The Government is implementing various schemes to increase the productivity and the income of farmers. The Department is also implementing various schemes to promote the agriculture sector viz. Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme, Neem Coated Urea, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), National Agriculture Market Scheme (e-NAM), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Interest Subvention Scheme etc.

Contd….2/-


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Further, 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 aiming to reorient the agriculture sector by focusing on an income-centeredness in addition to pure production centeredness approach.

The Government is also implementing the following schemes through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and Coir Board to boost the local economy in rural areas namely:-
1) Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme
ii) Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI)
iii) A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship
(ASPIRE)
iv) Coir Udyami Yojana (CUY)
Union Government is implementing various schemes/ programmes to promote non-farm employment opportunities for the farmers. In particular, Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana to incentivize the setting up of 100 agro processing clusters in the country. These clusters would add value to the horticultural/ agricultural produce and reduce wastage of the surplus produce and thereby resulting in increase of income of the farmers and creation of employment opportunities at the local level.
For promotion of agroforestry, Government is implementing a dedicated Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) from 2016-17 to have “Har Medh Par Ped” i.e. to encourgare means tree plantation on every farm bund. The scheme is being implemented in the States which have exempted selected tree species under transit regulations. So far 21 States have notified such relaxations.Under the mission Agrisilvicultural systems, Silvipastoral systems, Agrisilvopastoral system, other systems of agroforestry viz. Apiculture with Trees, Aqua forestry etc are being promoted.

The Government is focusing on increasing fisheries production and productivity from aquaculture and fisheries resources, both from inland and marine sectors. Accordingly, all the ongoing fisheries schemes have been merged under the umbrella scheme of Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries. The restructured scheme provides focussed development and management of fisheries through Central outlay of 3000 crore being provided from 2015-16 to 2020-21 (5 Years) covering inland fisheries, aquaculture, marine fisheries including deep sea fishing, mariculture and all activities undertaken by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). The newly launched “Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF)” a dedicated fund with a size of about Rs.7522.48 crores is also being setup.

The Department has also prepared a detailed National Fisheries Action Plan-2020(NFAP) for the next 5 years with an aim of enhancing fish production and productivity and to achieve the concept of a Blue Revolution.

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