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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMER WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5174
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24TH MARCH, 2026
ENHANCEMENT IN AGRICULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE
5174. DR. M P ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS’ WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) the details of fluctuations in agriculture caused by climate change;
(b) the plans to include more crops in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system
announced for major crops;
(c) the details of steps taken to reduce delays in settling insurance claims for farmers,
(d) the details of steps taken to extend the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana scheme
to more gram panchayats; and
(e) the details of steps taken by the Government to improve water storage facilities for the
agricultural sector in rural areas?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a): Climate change and extreme weather events leads to both biotic and abiotic stress on
crops, leading to fluctuations in agricultural production in some crops in some years.
However, due to various climate adaptation measures and schemes undertaken by the
Government, the country’s food grain production has shown a steady increase over the
past ten years as below:
Total Food Grain Production in the Country
Year 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Total 2515.42 2751.10 2850.14 2852.09 2975.04 3107.42 3156.16 3296.87 3322.98 3577.32
(Lakh
tonnes)(b): Government fixes Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated agricultural crops
based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, after
considering the views of State Governments and concerned Ministries/Departments. While
recommending MSPs, the Commission takes into account factors such as cost of
production, demand-supply conditions, domestic and international prices, inter-crop price
parity, and a minimum margin of 50 percent over the cost of production. The inclusion of
crops under the MSP framework depends on various considerations, including their shelf
life, extent of cultivation, role as items of mass consumption, and importance for food
security.
(c): Several steps have been taken by the Government to reduce delays in the settlement
of insurance claims under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and to ensure timely and
transparent disbursal to farmers. A centralized digital platform, namely the National Crop
Insurance Portal, has been developed for end-to-end management of the scheme,
including farmer enrolment, data management, and direct transfer of claims into farmers’
bank accounts. A dedicated ‘Digiclaim Module’, integrated with the Public Finance
Management System, has been operationalized to monitor and expedite claim processing,
with provisions for automatic calculation and levy of penalties for delays by insurance
companies. Further, the Central share of premium subsidy has been delinked from that of
States to enable proportionate claim settlement, and States have been mandated to
deposit their share in advance through Escrow Accounts. Technological interventions such
as the use of the CCE-Agri App for crop cutting data, integration of land records, and
tranche-based claim settlement have also been introduced to improve efficiency and
ensure timely settlement of claims.
(d) & (e): The Government is also implementing Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
(PMKSY) since 2015-16 to enhance access to irrigation and improve water use efficiency
at the farm level. Under PMKSY, the ‘Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP)’ component is being
implemented to expand irrigation coverage, including in rural areas and Gram Panchayats,
through creation and restoration of irrigation infrastructure. The schemes of Surface Minor
Irrigation (SMI) and Repair, Renovation & Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies have been
subsumed under PMKSY-HKKP and are being implemented across States with Central
Assistance provided to support such projects. The scheme supports creation of irrigation
potential and promotes equitable distribution of water, thereby facilitating wider coverage.
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