Agriculure and allied industry saw growth rate of 4.4% in 2016-17

Indian agriculture and allied industry has seen a remarkable growth of 4.4% in this year after receiving generous flow of allotments from the government. Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh said that the Ministry of Agriculture is working to double farmers’ income by 2022. Singh was speaking at a press conference in National Media Centre on the completion of three years of the Modi government.

Radha Mohan Singh said in the last three years, the government has created new and transparent working style for the growth of the nation. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, the implementation of the farmers’ welfare scheme was turned into a mission by the government. From the perspective of good governance, innovative and reformist approach, our government laid the foundation of future-oriented India.

Singh said, “Government has succeeded in creating awareness among the farmers about initiatives taken for the development of the agriculture sector. In three years, continuous and robust efforts have been made to bring qualitative changes in lives of farmers and rural areas”.

Union Agriculture Minister said during UPA government, the expenditure made by the Ministry used to be less than the budgetary allocation. For instance, during the year 2011-12 budgetary allocation was Rs.24, 526 crores and the amount spent was just Rs.23, 290 crores. Similarly, in the year 2012-13 budgetary allocation was Rs.28, 284 crores and the amount spent was Rs.24, 630 crores. In the year 2013-14, the budgetary allocation was Rs.30, 224 crore and the amount spent was Rs.25, 896.

On the other hand, under government, the Ministry is spending more than the budgetary allocation for the welfare of the farmers. For instance, in the year 2016-17, the budgetary allocation was Rs. 45,035 crores, but it was increased to Rs. 57,503 crores in the revised budget.

Keeping the welfare of the agriculture sector and farmers in mind, government is increasing the budget every year For example, the total budget for the welfare of the agriculture sector during the UPA government’s four years – 2010-11 to 2013-14 – was Rs.1,04,337 crores, while the present government has allocated Rs.1,64,415 crore during the period of 2014-15 to 2017-18, which is 57.58 percent more.

Singh said that in the initial two years of the last three years, the government provided security and confidence to farmers during two consecutive years of monsoon shortfall. Apart from focusing on the distribution of Soil Health Card, extension of irrigation facilities, low-cost organic farming, national agricultural market, horticulture development, Agroforestry, bee keeping, dairy, fish and egg production, it also focused on agricultural education, research and extension.

More investment has been made to strengthen cooperatives. In the last three year, several initiatives were taken to make the country self-reliant in pulses and oilseeds. The farmers were provided unprecedented security through Prime Minister’s Fasal Bima Yojana, which has the lowest premium and covers various risks. The government has given priority to the interests of farmers by providing the District-wise contingency action plans and increasing the relief funds for the farmers affected by drought and hailstorm.

In the three years government, the initiatives taken for the welfare of farmers and the agriculture sector through the successful implementation of the schemes have started showing positive results. The achievement in the agriculture sector is as follows:

• Foodgrain production of the year 2016-17 has broken all previous records. This year, the growth rate in agriculture and allied sector has been approximately 4.4 %.
• According to 3rd advance estimate for 2016-17, the total foodgrain production is estimated to be 273.38 million tonnes which is 8.67 % higher than that of the year 2015-16.
• It is also worth mentioning that this production is also 6.37% higher than the average production of last 5 years.
• For pulses, the production during 2016-17 is expected to be 22.40 million tonnes which will be a record production till date and is higher than that of the year 2015-16 by 37%.
• As on 16.05.2017, 725 lakh soil health cards have been distributed to the farmers.  Testing of samples and printing of cards are under process. Remaining farmers would be provided cards in the next three months.
• During the year 2011-14, cumulative area under organic farming has increased from 7.23 lakh hectare to 20 lakh hectares during the year 2014-17.
• So far, 417 regulated market from 13 states have joined the scheme.
• Till 15.05.2017, trading of 84 lakh tones of agri produce worth Rs 20,000 crores has been done. Till 15.05.2017, 46 lakh farmers, 90,000 traders and 46,411 Commission Agents has been registered on the portal.