Parliament Question: Sustaining Agricultural Growth in Tribal Area

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 458 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2ND DECEMBER, 2025 SUSTAINING AGRICULTURAL GROWTH IN TRIBAL AREA 458. SHRI SUKANTA KUMAR PANIGRAHI: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that India achieved a record foodgrain production of about 353.95 million tonnes in 2024-25, registering 4.6% sectoral growth and if so, the specific initiatives that have been taken to sustain this momentum in tribal and hilly regions such as Kandhamal in Odisha; (b) the number of farmers covered under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM- KISAN), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and procurement programmes in Odisha, districtwise; (c) whether any steps are being taken to link Odisha’s organic and millet clusters to national and international markets and tribal, hilly regions including women's participation particularly in the State of Odisha with specific to Kandhamal Parliamentary constituency if so, the details thereof; and (d) the measures planned to promote Agri-value addition, digital farming and natural resource conservation in Aspirational Districts like Kandhamal? ANSWER 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): India has achieved a record foodgrain production of 357.73 million tonnes as per the Final Esimates 2024-25, which reflects a growth of 7.65% as compared to the foodgrain production during 2023-24. Agriculture being a State Subject, the State Governments take appropriate measures for the development of agriculture. The Government of India supports these efforts through policies, financial assistance, and various schemes and programmes aimed at increasing production, ensuring remunerative returns, and improving farmer incomes. Both Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture are being implemented in Odisha to aid farmer welfare. (b): During 2024-25 (as on 28.11.2025), 18,21,071 farmers have been benefitted under procurement programme of paddy in the State of Odisha. Further, the number of farmers benefitted under procurement programme of pulses and oilseeds, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in Odisha, district-wise are given at Annexures I, II and III respectively.(c) & (d): The Government is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) in all the States/UTs (except North Eastern States), including Odisha to promote organic farming. PKVY stress on end-to-end support to farmers engaged in organic farming i.e. from production to processing, certification and marketing. Primary focus of the scheme is to form organic clusters, with preference to small and marginal farmers, to create a supply chain. To enhance millet production, consumption, exports, and value-chain development, 2023 was declared the International Year of Millets by the Government of India. The Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad has been designated as a Global Centre of Excellence to share research, best practices, and technologies. IIMR provides training to farmers, women, homemakers, students, and entrepreneurs in value- added millet products and supports millet-based enterprises. The institute has developed “Ready to Eat” and “Ready to Cook” millet technologies, promoted the “Eatrite” brand, and organized awareness programmes along with agri-business and technology incubation initiatives. One component of the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industries (PLISFPI) focuses on Millet-Based Products (MBP), with an outlay of Rs. 800 crores. The objectives of the PLI Scheme for Millet-Based Products (PLISMBP) are to increase the use of millets in food products and promote their value addition by incentivizing the manufacturing and sale of selected millet-based products in both domestic and export markets. The Sub-Mission on National Food Security & Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) – Nutri Cereals is being implemented across all districts of 28 States and 2 Union Territories, including Odisha. Under this mission, farmers receive incentives through States/UTs for activities such as improved crop production and protection technologies, demonstrations, certified seed production and distribution, Integrated Nutrient and Pest Management, farmer training, workshops, seed minikits, and publicity efforts. Additionally, the Government of India provides flexibility to States under the Pradhan Mantri–Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) to address state-specific priorities. States may promote millets (Shree Anna) under PM-RKVY with approval from the State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) chaired by the Chief Secretary. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched a flagship network project namely National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) to conduct studies on the impact of climate change on agriculture and develop and promotes climate resilient technologies in agriculture. The Government has set up a Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in Kandhamal district of Odisha to promote adoption of new technologies of agriculture and allied sectors including Agri-value addition and natural resource conservation technologies through technology assessment, demonstration and capacity development among the extension functionaries of state governments and farmers. Government is implementing Sub Mission on Seeds and Planting Materials (SMSP) to promote production and multiplication of quality seeds of agricultural crops to ensure availability of required quantities of seed to farmers. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) implements strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to the changing climate. Several schemes under NMSA deal with adverse climate situations in agriculture. Per Drop More Crop scheme increases water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro Irrigation technologies i.e. drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. Rainfed Area Development scheme promotes Integrated Farming System (IFS) for enhancing productivity and minimizing risksassociated with climatic variability. The Soil Health Card (SHC) / Soil Health Management (SHM) scheme is operational through the State Governments under the National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertility. SHC provides information to farmers on soil nutrient status of their soil and recommends appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and fertility. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Agroforestry & National Bamboo Mission also promote climate resilience in agriculture. A component called “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” has been launched under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY-RAFTAAR) in 2018-19 to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem. Under this programme, start-ups are encouraged to use innovative technologies to resolve challenges faced in agriculture and allied sectors. The Government has taken various initiatives to enhance digital integration, promote innovation, and make advanced technologies like drones more accessible in the agriculture sector. To promote the use of drone technology in agriculture, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare released SOPs in December 2021 for safe pesticide and nutrient application using drones. Under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), extensive financial assistance to purchase drones and their attachments is provided as follows:  100% support (up to ₹10 lakh) for ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)  75% support for FPOs for field demonstrations.  40–50% support (₹4–5 lakh limit) for Custom Hiring Centers and farmers, with higher assistance for SC/ST, women, and small/marginal farmers. The Government has approved ‘Namo Drone Didi’ as Central Sector Scheme for providing drones to the Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) with an outlay of Rs. 1261 Crores for the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26. The scheme aims to provide drones to 15000 selected Women SHGs for providing rental services to farmers for agricultural purpose (application of fertilizers and pesticides). Further, the Government has employed Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods to address various challenges in the agricultural sector to aid farmers. Some of the initiatives are given below: I. ‘Kisan e-Mitra’ an AI-powered chatbot to assist farmers with queries about the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This solution supports multiple languages and is evolving to assist with other government programs. II. National Pest Surveillance System for tackling the loss of produce due to climate change. This system utilizes AI and Machine Learning to detect crop issues, enabling timely intervention for healthier cropsAnnexure I District-wise details of farmers benefitted in Odisha under PM-KISAN in 21st instalment, as on 26.11.2025 Sr. Districts No. of Beneficiaries 1 Angul 1,24,397 2 Balangir 1,97,340 3 Balasore 2,39,346 4 Bargarh 1,59,929 5 Bhadrak 1,57,786 6 Boudh 48,528 7 Cuttack 1,54,995 8 Deogarh 37,581 9 Dhenkanal 1,03,432 10 Gajapati 41,769 11 Ganjam 1,67,328 12 Jagatsinghapur 1,19,031 13 Jajpur 1,60,353 14 Jharsuguda 33,449 15 Kalahandi 1,47,698 16 Kandhamal 63,507 17 Kendrapara 1,25,699 18 Keonjhar 1,80,409 19 Khordha 72,374 20 Koraput 68,604 21 Malkangiri 48,713 22 Mayurbhanj 2,37,679 23 Nabarangpur 1,04,063 24 Nayagarh 74,100 25 Nuapada 84,131 26 Puri 1,58,319 27 Rayagada 47,648 28 Sambalpur 59,348 29 Sonepur 61,729 30 Sundargarh 1,32,701 Total 34,11,986 Source: DA&FWAnnexure II District wise details of farmers application enrolled under PMFBY and RWBCIS District in Odisha during 2024-25 Sr. Districts Application Enrolled 1 Anugul 4,25,212 2 Balangir 11,94,869 3 Baleshwar 8,26,148 4 Bargarh 16,14,615 5 Bhadrak 6,53,670 6 Boudh 1,15,456 7 Cuttack 4,68,948 8 Deogarh 2,54,100 9 Dhenkanal 2,78,426 10 Gajapati 72,541 11 Ganjam 8,85,106 12 Jagatsinghapur 3,15,804 13 Jajapur 8,43,906 14 Jharsuguda 7,60,502 15 Kalahandi 5,13,375 16 Kandhamal 74,812 17 Kendrapara 7,19,973 18 Kendujhar 4,75,952 19 Khordha 3,22,708 20 Koraput 74,576 21 Malkangiri 66,340 22 Mayurbhanj 4,73,841 23 Nabarangpur 93,960 24 Nayagarh 1,91,453 25 Nuapada 1,93,713 26 Puri 6,56,601 27 Rayagada 75,958 28 Sambalpur 8,34,608 29 Subarnapur 2,30,359 30 Sundargarh 9,73,590 Total 1,46,81,122 Source: DA&FWAnnexure III District-wise no. of farmers benefitted under procurement programmes in Odisha during 2024-25 Source: DA&FW Qty. in MT/Value in Rs. Moong Purchase Number of farmers District Value in Rs. Quantity MTS benefitted Angul 0.45 39,069.00 5 Bhadrak 126.60 10,991,412.00 183 Bolangir 34.05 2,956,221.00 87 Cuttack 812.58 70,548,456.93 835 Ganjam 119.35 10,361,967.00 220 Jagatsinghpur 2583.17 224,270,556.34 3035 Jajpur 1286.60 111,702,612.00 1179 Jharsuguda 15.00 1,302,300.00 33 Kalahandi 48.25 4,189,065.00 76 Kendrapada 949.20 82,409,544.00 1964 Khordha 941.20 81,714,984.00 695 Malkangiri 477.85 41,486,937.00 282 Mayurbhanj 210.05 18,236,541.00 164 Nayagarh 185.75 16,126,815.00 320 Nuapada 39.65 3,442,413.00 31 Puri 2475.75 214,944,615.00 2764 Raygada 5.85 507,897.00 8 Sambalpur 1.00 86,820.00 5 Total 10312.35 895,318,225.26 11886 Urad Purchase Number of farmers District Quantity Value in Rs. benefitted MTS Ganjam 19.80 1,465,200.00 10 Malkangiri 14.15 1,047,100.00 20 Khordha 105.75 7,825,500.00 50 Puri 116.95 8,654,300.00 107 Kendrapada 33.05 2,445,700.00 39Jagatsinghpur 7.10 525,400.00 16 Jajpur 2.00 148,000.00 1 Jharsuguda 14.50 1,073,000.00 9 Raygada 3.85 284,900.00 4 Total 317.15 23,469,100.00 256 Groundnut Purchase Quantity Number of farmers District Value in Rs. MTS benefitted Angul 55.51 3,765,243.30 79 Balasore 27.20 1,844,636.85 31 Deogarh 236.92 16,069,944.45 270 Ganjam 11.73 795,306.75 8 Khordha 11.45 776,314.35 4 Puri 385.70 26,162,166.66 308 Jajpur 100.63 6,825,393.75 39 Koraput 223.09 15,132,194.70 196 Malkangiri 531.65 36,061,819.50 288 Mayurbhanj 143.12 9,707,490.45 116 Nuapada 118.30 8,024,289.00 153 Sundargarh 196.39 13,320,794.55 188 Total 2041.66 138,485,594.31 1680 Sunflower Number of Purchase District Value in Rs. farmers Quantity MTS benefitted Bhadrak 47.40 3,450,720.00 88 Kendrapada 0.70 50,960.00 3 Total 48.10 3,501,680.00 91 *****