Progress in Doubling Farmers Income
21 July 2022, New Delhi: The Indian Government had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in April, 2016 to examine issues relating to “Doubling of Farmers Income (DFI)” and recommend 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. The DFI strategy recommends recognition of agriculture as a value-led enterprise, identifying 7 major sources of income growth which are (i) improvement in crop productivity; (ii) improvement in livestock productivity; (iii) resource use efficiency or savings in the cost of production; (iv) increase in the cropping intensity; (v) diversification towards high value crops; (vi) improvement in real prices received by farmers; and (vii) shift of surplus manpower from farm to non-farm occupations.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation [National Statistical Office (NSO)] conducted a Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households during NSS 70th round (January 2013- December 2013) with reference to the agricultural year July 2012- June 2013 and during NSS 77th round (January 2019- December 2019) with reference to the agricultural year July 2018- June 2019 in the rural areas of the country. From these surveys, estimated average monthly income per agricultural household as obtained from NSS 70th round (2012-13) and NSS 77th round (2018-19) were calculated as Rs.6426/- and Rs.10,218/- respectively which is 59% increase in 6 years. This is the latest data available on farmer income as on date and was shared by the union minister in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
The Indian Government has adopted several developmental programmes, schemes, reforms and policies for achieving higher incomes for the farmers. There have been several reforms to tap the potential for income enhancement which have been able to augment of income of farmers directly or indirectly.
The reforms include formation and promotion of 10,000 FPOs along with necessary financial support, special attention for creation of infrastructure through Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF) with a size of Rs. 100,000 crore, supplementary income transfers under PM-KISAN, Crop insurance under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY), better access to irrigation under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), increase in Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi crops ensuring a minimum of 50 percent of profit margin on the cost of production, and several others to cover all segments of agriculture.
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