Doubling Farmer’s Income
The Government consulted an Inter-ministerial Committee in April, 2016 to examine issues relating to “Doubling farmers Income” and recommend strategies to achieve the same. The Committee submitted its report to the Government in September, 2018 containing the strategy for doubling of farmers’ income by the year 2022. The Committee on Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) recognizes agriculture as a value led enterprise and has identified seven major sources of growth viz., (i) Increase in crop productivity; (II) Increase 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 from farm to non-farm occupations. After acceptance of the DFI Committee recommendations, the Government has consulted an ‘Empowered Body’ to review and monitor the progress.
The Government of India is recommending soil test based balanced and integrated nutrient management through conjunctive use of both inorganic and organic sources (manure, biofertilizers green manuring, in-situ crop residue recycling etc.) of plant nutrients with 4Rs approach i.e right quantity, right time, right mode and right type of fertilizer for judicious use of chemical fertilizers and to reduce use of chemical fertilizers. In addition, split application, use of slow releasing fertilizers including neem coated urea and growing leguminous crops are also advocated and use of Resource Conservation Technologies (RCTs) are also advocated. INM is being promoted through implementation of Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme since 2015. Soil health card provides nutrient status of the soil along with prescription about balanced and integrated use of inorganic and organic fertilizers to maintain good soil health that results in increase in production. Demonstrations about balanced use of fertilizers based on soil health card recommendations and training to the farmers on proper and integrated use of fertilizers are integral part of the scheme. Financial assistance is provided to State governments for training of farmers, demonstrations on farmer fields and organizing farmer melas. The steps are being taken to improve the quality of soil under National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertility are given below:
- Government has been implementing Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme under National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertility since 2015 to provide soil test based fertilizer use recommendations periodically to the farmers in the country. Soil health card provides nutrient status of the soil along with prescription about balanced and integrated use of inorganic and organic fertilizers to maintain good soil health.
- Demonstrations about balanced use of fertilizers based on soil health card recommendations and training to the farmers on proper and integrated use of fertilizers are integral part of the scheme. Financial assistance is provided to State governments for training of farmers, demonstrations on farmer fields and organizing farmer melas.
- Since 2015, around 6.45 lakh demonstrations, 93781 farmer’s trainings and 7425 farmers melas are organized/conducted under the programme.
- Under Soil Health Management scheme financial assistance to states is provided for promotion of micro-nutrients @ Rs 500 per hectare. Since 2015, financial assistance for promotion of micro-nutrients to 10.29 lakh hectare has been provided to states.
- The Government of India assesses the requirement of fertilizers before each cropping season i. e Kharif and Rabi during the Zonal Conference on Agricultural Inputs. The Department of Fertilizers on that basis issues the supply plan and ensure the availability of fertilizers through domestic production and imports
This information was given by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
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