Doubling farmers’ income

On: 11 AUG 2023 – Government had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in April, 2016 to examine issues relating to “Doubling of Farmers Income (DFI)” and recommend strategies to achieve the same.  The Committee submitted its final report to the Government in September, 2018 containing the recommendations for doubling of farmers’ income through various policies, reforms &programmes.  To achieve the objective, the Committee identified following seven sources of income growth: –

1. Increase in crop productivity
2. Increase in livestock productivity
3. Resource use efficiency – reduction in cost of production
4. Increase in cropping intensity
5. Diversification to high value agriculture
6. Remunerative prices on farmers’ produce
7. Shift of surplus manpower from farm to non-farm occupations

Government has adopted and implemented several policies, reforms, developmental programmes and schemes for achieving higher incomes for the farmers directly or indirectly. The unprecedented enhancedbudgetary provisions have been made to facilitate the following efforts of the Government.

1. Income support to farmers through PM KISAN
2. Pradhan Mantri Fasal BimaYojana (PMFBY)
3. Institutional credit for agriculture sector
4. Fixing of Minimum Support Price (MSP) at one-and-a half times the cost of production
5. Promotion of organic farming in the country
6. Per Drop More Crop
7. Micro Irrigation Fund
8. Promotion of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)
9. A National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
10. Agricultural Mechanization
11. Providing Soil Health Cards to farmers
12. Setting up of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) extension Platform
13. Launch of the National Mission for Edible Oils – Oil Palm
14. Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
15. Improvement in farm produce logistics, Introduction of Kisan Rail.
16. MIDH – Cluster Development Programme:
17. Creation of a Start-up Eco system in agriculture and allied sector
18. Achievement in Export of Agri and Allied Agri- Commodities

Implementation of these schemes has yielded remarkable results towards augmenting the income of the farmers. As part of the ‘Azadika Amrit Mahotsav’, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has released a book, which contains compilation of success stories of 75,000 farmers out of innumerable successful farmers who have increased their income more than two times.

PROMOTING MILLETS

The Government of India is implementing a multi stakeholder approach towards celebration of International Year of Millets (IYM) – 2023. The action plan of IYM-2023 focuses on strategies to enhance production and productivity, consumption, export, strengthening value chain, branding, creating awareness for health benefits etc. To promote Shree Anna a yearlong action plan for monthly activity has been prepared by Central Ministries, State Governments and Indian Embassies.

In order to increase production and productivity of Shree Anna, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing a Sub-Mission on Nutri-Cereals under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in all districts of 28 States & 2 Union Territories viz. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Under NFSM–Nutri Cereals, the incentives are provided to the farmers, through the States/UTs, on crop production and protection technologies, cropping system based demonstrations, production & distribution of certified seeds of newly released varieties/hybrids, Integrated Nutrient and Pest Management techniques, improved farm implements/tools/resource conservation machineries, water saving devices, capacity building of farmers through trainings during cropping season, organizing events/workshops, distribution of seed minikits, publicity through print and electronic media etc. The interventions such as formation of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) for Shree Anna, setting up Centers of Excellence (CoE) and seed hubs for Shree Anna have also been supported under NFSM.  In addition, states such as Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have initiated Millet Missions in the States to promote Shree Anna. To make India a global hub for ‘Shree Anna’, the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad has been declared as the Centre of Excellence for sharing best practices, research and technologies at the national and international level.

Shree Anna are also included under the Poshan Abhiyan of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.  Further, the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution has revised its guidelines to increase the procurement of Shree Anna under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Mid-Day Meal.  The Ministry has also advised the State Governments and Union Territories to increase the procurement of Shree Anna. An Export Promotion Forum dedicated to promotion of Shree Anna in the international market has been set up to facilitate promotion, marketing and development of Shree Anna exports from India. Under the Eat Right campaign, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is creating awareness to promote the use of Shree Anna as part of a healthy and varied diet.

Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has implemented the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry for Millet-based products (PLISMBP) during 2022-23 to 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs. 800 crores. The Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, launched under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan is currently being implemented in 35 States and Union Territories (UTs). The Government is also popularizing Agri-Infrastructure Fund Scheme to invite farmers/FPOs/Entrepreneurs to avail the benefit of interest subvention on loans up to 2 crores for setting up primary processing units in Shree Anna. Government is also promoting Shree Anna based startups to increase the demand of Shree Anna.

As a part of promotional activities of IYM 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare is promoting Shree Anna during India’s G20 presidency. Shree Anna are also showcased in various events such as International Trade Fair, Surajkund Mela etc.A key event organized towards International Year of Millets was the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference, held from 18^th– 19^thMarch 2023 at IARI Pusa campus, New Delhi which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister. In continuation to the efforts towards mainstreaming Shree Anna, a ‘Millets Experience Centre (MEC)’ has been opened at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi with an aim to raise awareness on Shree Anna and encourage its adoption among general public.In order to encourage consumption of Shree Anna among government employees, all Government offices have been advised to include Shree Anna snacks in departmental trainings/meetings and Shree Anna based food items in departmental canteens. DA&FW has also installed vending machines for Shree Anna products through National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) to various Ministries/Departments. Shree Anna and its products have been identified as One District One Product (ODOP) in 19 districts of 10 States.

The state-wise production of millets in the country during last 5 years (2018-19 to 2022-23) is given below. The major millet crops procured by the Government are jowar, bajra, and ragi. During last five years, the quantum of jowar, bajra and ragi procured by the Government are 423675 metric tonnes, 758094 metric tonnes and 1676067 metric tonnes respectively.

The state-wise production of millets (shree anna) during 2018-19 to 2022-23 is as under;

(Production in ‘000 tonnes)

*As per 3^rd Advance Estimates 2022-23.

ADOPTION OF HYDROPONICS FARMING

Hydroponics is a viable alternative to traditional farming methods for soil less cultivation for enhancing productivity and water use efficiency. Hydroponics is a new concept in India and gaining popularity among entrepreneurs and innovative farmers, who are looking for sustainable and efficient ways to grow crops. At present, this technology is mostly confined to urban farming, rooftop gardening and commercial farming.

ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, Bengaluru (IIHR) has developed a variant of hydroponics, “Cocoponics” or the Soilless production of vegetables, using cocopeat as a substrate, which has been found to be comparatively more successful in many vegetable crops.  The Institute has developed the complete production technology including a liquid nutrient formulation (Arka Sasya Poshak Ras) for soilless cultivation of zucchini, colour cabbage, chilli, brinjal, palak, amaranthus, coriander, cucumber, french bean, peas, cow pea, dolichos, ridge gourd, bottle gourd, okra, radish, tomato and exotic leafy vegetables viz., lettuce, parsley, broccoli, bok choy etc on arka fermented cocopeat (substrate) under open as well as in protected conditions. More than 3000 urban dwellers, cocopeat producers, hydroponics start up etc., were trained at ICAR-IIHR during last 3 years through various capacity building programmes.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

******