Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare addresses support to farmers through various agricultural policies and programs. The government supports states through policy measures and budgetary allocations, focusing on six sources of income growth for farmers, including increased production, reduced costs, diversification, and climate change adaptation. The Ministry implements schemes throughout the year, including awareness campaigns like the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, and evaluates them continuously at headquarters and field levels.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Income Growth Strategies:**
* Six sources of income growth for farmers are identified: increase crop production, reduce production costs, increase farmer income, agricultural diversification, climate change adaptation, and compensation of farmers' losses.
* **Budgetary Support:**
* The budget allocation for the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DAFW) increased from Rs. 21,933.50 crore in 2013-14 to Rs. 1,27,290.16 crore in 2025-26.
* **Minimum Support Prices (MSPs):**
* Government fixes MSPs for mandated crops based on recommendations from the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP).
* MSPs are set at levels of one and a half times the cost of production, ensuring a minimum margin of 50% over the all-India weighted average cost of production since 2018-19.
* **Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PMAASHA):**
* PMAASHA strengthens MSP implementation with components like Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS), and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).
* PSS is implemented upon request from State/UT governments that agree to exempt Mandi tax on procurement of notified pulses, oilseeds, and copra.
* Procurement of Tur, Urad, and Masur under PSS, equivalent to 100% of estimated state production, is allowed until 2028-29.
* PDPS involves direct payment of the price difference between MSP and selling modal price to pre-registered farmers.
* MIS supports perishable and horticulture crops, offering physical and price difference payments, including storage and transportation support for Tomato, Onion, and Potato (TOP) crops.
* **Implementation and Review:**
* Agriculture is a state subject; centrally sponsored schemes are implemented through State/UT governments.
* State governments arrange seeds and other agricultural inputs as per their sanctioned Annual Action Plans.
* Continuous review and evaluation of schemes occur at headquarters and field levels.
* **Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan:**
* A pre-Kharif campaign held from May 29th to June 12th, 2025, to create awareness about improved agricultural technologies and government schemes.
* 2,170 teams interacted with over 1.35 crore farmers across 728 districts.
* **Major Schemes:**
* Includes PMKISAN, PMKMY, PMFBY, AIF, FPOs, NBHM, NMNF, PMAASHA, AgriSURE, PDMC, SMAM, PKVY, SHF, RAD, CDP, SMAE, SMSP, NFSNM, ISAM, MIDH, NMEO (Oil Palm and Oilseeds), and Digital Agriculture Mission.
Impact Analysis:
* **Farmers:**
* *Impact:* Benefit from income support, fair prices, access to inputs, and awareness programs.
* *Action Required:* Register for schemes like PMKISAN and PMAASHA, adopt improved agricultural technologies, and participate in awareness campaigns.
* **State Governments/UTs:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing centrally sponsored schemes, arranging inputs, and exempting Mandi tax for PSS.
* *Action Required:* Prepare and implement Annual Action Plans, request PSS implementation, and ensure timely procurement and storage arrangements.
* **Central Government (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for policy measures, budgetary allocations, fixing MSPs, and continuous monitoring and evaluation of schemes.
* *Action Required:* Ensure adequate budgetary support, timely MSP announcements, and effective monitoring of scheme implementation.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The central government ministry responsible for agriculture and farmers' welfare in India.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the starred question was raised.
Minimum Support Prices (MSPs): The price at which the government purchases crops from farmers, ensuring a minimum income.
Commission for Agricultural Costs Prices (CACP): An advisory body that recommends MSPs to the government.
Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PMAASHA): An umbrella scheme to ensure remunerative prices to farmers for their produce.
Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan: A campaign organized to create awareness regarding improved agricultural technologies and government schemes.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKISAN): A direct income support scheme for farmers.
National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF): A scheme promoting natural farming practices.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 121
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29TH JULY, 2025
SUPPORT TO FARMERS
*121. SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B:
SHRI SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष और िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) the details and current status of major agricultural policies and programs under
implementation along with the key challenges in delivering adequate support to farmers;
(b) the details of mechanisms in place to ensure that farmers receive fair market prices for
their produce, and the role of the Government in regulating or facilitating the sale and
marketing of agricultural products;
(c) whether the Ministry procure and distribute essential agricultural inputs such as seeds,
fertilizers, and equipment and if so, the details thereof along with the steps being taken to
ensure timely and equitable access for all farmers;
(d) the specific initiatives/support programs being implemented to assist farmers from
December to April as this period is significant in agricultural calendar; and
(e) the role of Ministry in ensuring effective implementation of agricultural programs and the
manner in which it is accountable for its support to farmers?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the house.STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED
QUESTION NO. 121 REGARDING “SUPPORT TO FARMERS” FOR REPLY ON 29TH JULY,
2025.
(a): Government of India supports the States through appropriate policy measures and
budgetary allocation for schemes for farmers welfare. Six sources of income growth of farmers
has been identified i.e. (i) to increase crop production (ii) to reduce cost of production (iii) to
increase farmers' income (iv) Agricultural diversification (v) Adaptation to climate change for
sustainable agriculture and (vi) Compensation of farmers' losses.
The Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation of Department of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare(DA&FW) from Rs. 21,933.50 crore BE during 2013-14 to Rs.
1,27,290.16 crore BE during 2025-26. The various schemes/ programmes of the Government of
India are meant for the welfare of farmers by increasing production, remunerative returns and
income support to farmers is annexed.
(b): Government fixes Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for mandated crops based on the
recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) after considering
the views of concerned State Governments and Central Ministries/ Departments. The Union
Budget for 2018-19 had announced to keep MSPs at levels of one and half times of the cost of
production. Accordingly, Government had consistently increased MSPs for all mandated Kharif,
Rabi and other Commercial crops with a minimum margin of 50 percent over all India weighted
average cost of production from the year 2018-19 onwards.
Integrated Scheme of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
strengthens implementation of MSP and acts as a tool for market price stabilisation. PM-AASHA
has components of Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS) and
Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).
PSS is implemented on the request of the State Govt./ UT that agrees to exempt from
levy of Mandi tax on the procurement of notified pulses, oilseeds and copra and make
arrangements like booking of scientific storage facility, identification of procurement centres,
within the stipulated period as and when the market prices of agricultural commodities fall below
notified MSP during peak harvesting period. From the procurement year 2024-25, the sanction
for the procurement of notified Pulses, Oilseeds and Copra under PSS is given to the States/UTs
initially upto a maximum of 25% of the production of the State for that particular season.
Subsequently, if the State/UT achieves the overall procurement against sanctioned quantity and
further intends to procure more beyond the sanctioned quantity, the proposal for the procurement
under the PSS is considered upto a maximum of 25% of the national production. In order to
incentivize the farmers contributing in enhancement of domestic production of pulses and to
reduce the dependence on imports, the Government has allowed the procurement of Tur, Urad
and Masur under PSS equivalent to 100% of the estimated production of the State till 2028-29.
PDPS envisages the direct payment of the price difference between the MSP and the
selling / modal price in notified market upto 15% of MSP value (including 2% administrative cost)
by the Central Government to the pre-registered farmers selling the oilseeds upto 40% of its
production with prescribed Fair Average Quality (FAQ) in the notified market yard through atransparent auction process within the stipulated period. However, the States/UTs have the
option to implement either PSS or PDPS for the notified oilseeds for the particular year/season.
If any State is willing to cover quantities beyond 40%, it can do so from its resources.
MIS further enhances the diversity by supporting the perishable and horticulture crops
that are not covered under above price stabilisation measures. MIS offers both physical as well
as price difference payment along with a provision for storage and transportation of TOP (Tomato,
Onion and Potato) crops.
This integrated approach leads to the prevention of distress sale by farmers, ensuring
remunerative prices for their produce. It also facilitates the creation of buffer stock to address
market volatility. Overall, these measures strengthen farmer confidence in market operations due
to the assurance of price support.
(c) to (e): Agriculture is a state subject & all the centrally sponsored schemes are
implemented through States/ UTs concerned. For seeds and other agricultural inputs,
arrangements are put in place by the State Governments as per their Annual Action Plan
sanctioned for various schemes. The implementation of schemes is continuously reviewed. The
evaluation of schemes at the headquarters and field level is a continuous process.
All the schemes/ program of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare are implemented
throughout the year.
The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan was organized from 29th May-12th June 2025 across
the country as pre-Kharif campaign with the objectives to create awareness regarding improved
agricultural technologies, various schemes and policies of Government and also to document
farmer-led innovations and feedback of farmers. During the campaign, 2,170 teams of multi-
disciplinary scientists directly interacted with more than 1.35 crore farmers by organizing about
61 thousand programs in 728 districts. Awareness was created about improved agricultural
technologies for Kharif season, various challenges of the modern agriculture system, promotion
of use of advance machines, tools and gadgets and quality inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, seed,
etc.) among the farmers. During the campaign, 300 farmer-led innovations, 70 policy issues and
500 researchable issues were documented to promote demand driven research.Annexure
Major schemes/ programmes under implementation by DA&FW
1. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
2. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)
3. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)/ Restructured Weather Based Crop
Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)
4. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)
5. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
6. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs)
7. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
8. Namo Drone Didi
9. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
10. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
11. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises’ (AgriSURE)
12. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)
13. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
14. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
15. Soil Health & Fertility (SH&F)
16. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
17. Agroforestry
18. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)
19. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
20. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
21. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)
22. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM)
23. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
24. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm
25. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds
26. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region
27. Digital Agriculture Mission
28. National Bamboo Mission
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