PIB Analysis 14-12-22

PIB Analysis 14-12-22

Doubling of Farmers Income

  • Government had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in April, 2016 to examine issues relating to “Doubling of Farmers Income (DFI)” and recommended strategies to achieve the same.
  • The Committee submitted its final report to the Government in September, 2018 containing the strategy 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

The premise of the strategy for doubling farmers income is based on the following primary principles:

  1. Increasing total output across the agricultural sub-sectors through realising higher productivity
  2. Rationalizing/reducing the cost of production
  3. Ensuring remunerative prices in the agricultural produce
  4. Effective risk management
  5. Adoption of sustainable technologies

Agriculture as a Source of Living

  • According to Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), 2020-21 conducted by Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the percentage of rural workers including small and marginal farmers in the usual status engaged in agriculture sector of the country is 60.8%.
  • As per the Agricultural Statistics at A Glance 2021, India contributed 25.44 % of global production for pulses in the year 2019.
  • India was second largest importer (14.12%) of pulses in the year 2020-21.
  • There has been record foodgrain production of 310.74 Million Tonnes in the year 2020-21.

Rashtriya Gokul Mission

  • The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, under Rashtriya Gokul Mission has released funds for setting up of 16 “Gokul Grams” with the aim of conservation and development of indigenous bovine breeds in a scientific and holistic manner.
  • Setting up of Biogas Plant was also included as one of the component under Gokul Grams and their performance evaluation has not been carried out.
  • They have not been connected with the Gobardhan Yojana as the said scheme was not in place during the inception of Gokul Gram component under RGM.
  • Due to implementation of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and other measures taken by Government of India milk production in the country has increased from 146.31Million Tonnes in 2014-15 to 220.78 Million in 2021-22.
  • This represents an increase of 6.3% per annum during the last 8 years.
  • Value of output of milk is more than Rs.9.32 lakh crore during 2021-22 which is the highest on all agriculture products and is even more than the combined value of Paddy and Wheat.
  • The scheme is the playing an important role in enhancing milk production and productivity of bovines to meet the growing demand of milk and making dairying more remunerative to the rural farmers of the country.
  • The scheme is leading to multiplication of elite animals of indigenous breeds and increased availability of indigenous stock.