PROJECT

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTRE, MOTA BHANADARIYA JAU

Course no. :Agron 7.12(0+2)

Topic
Role of mission “ Doubling Farmers Income” in
agriculture crop production and its emerging limitations
and measures at farmers’ fields.

Submitted by : Sapara Nitin S.

Roll no.:63
Registration no.3010519063
Submitted to : Dr.T.C.Poonia
Assistant professor
Department of agronomy
College of agriculture, Amreli, JAU.
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 Introduction

The vision of Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for doubling farmers’
income by 2022 was announced by the Honourable Finance Minister Shri Arun
Jaitley during his budget speech on February 29,2016. After the Green Revolution,
India’s food production multiplied by 3.7 times while the population multiplied by
2.55 times. The food production has increased from 51 m tones in 1950-51 to 273
m tones in 2016-17. The net result has been a 45% increase in per person food
production, which has made India self sufficient in food at aggregate level and also
a net food exporting country.

Current Scenario of the Income:

The benchmark estimated annual income was Rs 96,703 in 2015-16 which was taken as a base
year. This comes to Rs 8,059 per month. As such, the target income for doubling by 2022 is Rs
21,146 per month (taking inflation also into account

Agriculture house land in India

According to Situation Assessment Survey 2013, an agricultural household is defined as a

household receiving some value of produce more than Rs. 3000 from agricultural activities
and having at least one member self-employed in agriculture either in the principal status or
in subsidiary status during last 365 days. NSSO data on Consumption Expenditure Survey for
year 2011-12 reveals that one-fifth of the agricultural households were having income below
the poverty line.

Why is there a Need to Double Farmers' Income?

Past strategy for development of the agriculture sector in India has focused primarily on raising
agricultural output and improving food security.

The strategy did not explicitly recognise the need to raise farmers' income resulting in low
income of farmers.

Farmers' income also remained low in relation to income of those working in the non- farm
sector.

India also witnessed a sharp increase in the number of farmers suicides due to losses from
farming, shocks in farm income and low farm income.

The low farm income is forcing more and more cultivators, particularly the younger age group,
to leave farming.

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This can have an adverse effect on the future of agriculture in the country, leading to food
insecurity.

Therefore, there is need to double farmers income to promote farmers' welfare, reduce agrarian
distress and bring parity between income of farmers and those working in non-agricultural
professions.

What is to be
Whether the
doubled , is it
targeted income
output , value
includes only
added or income
income derived
earned by farmers
from agricultural
from agricultural
activities
activities?

or would it
Whether nominal also include
income is to be
doubled or real income of
income is to be farmers
doubled?
from other
sources ?

SUBSTANTIVE POINTS

SOURCE OF GROWTH IN FARMER'S INCOME

◼ he major sources of growth operating within agriculture sector are:-

◼ Improvement in Agricultural productivity

◼ Resource use efficiency or Total Factor Productivity

◼ Increase in cropping intensity

◼ Diversification towards high value crops

◼ Precision farming

The major sources of growth outside Agriculture include

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 ◼ Shifting cultivators from farm to non-farm occupations.

◼ Improvement in terms of trade for farmers or real prices received by farmers.

A. SOURCE OF GROWTH WITHIN AGRICULTURE SECTOR

INCREASE IN AGRICULTURE PRODUCTIVITY

Two sources to increase in agricultural output are area and productivity. In present scenario,
agricultural output has to be increased through improvement in productivity per unit of land.
Enhancing access to irrigation and technological advancement are the most potent instruments
to raise agricultural productivity and production in the country. Biotechnology can also play
an important role in increasing crop and livestock production. aggregate productivity of crop
sector increased at the rate of 3.1 percent per year during 2000-01 to 2013-14.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY

Improvement in TFP is an important source of output growth which directly contributes to

cost saving and thus increase in income. TFP growth represents effect of technological change,
skill, infrastructure etc, which are not counted in the set of production inputs. Improvement in
farm services such as Agri-clinics also adds to the TFP. According to Fuglie and Rada (2015),
agriculture sector in India has witnessed 2.62 per cent growth in TFP during 2004-12.

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DIVERSIFICATION TOWARDS HIGH VALUE CROPS

Staple crops (cereals , pulses, oilseeds) occupy 77 per cent of the total or gross cropped area
(GSA) but contribute only 44 per cent of total output of the crop sector. VC’s ( fruits,
vegetables, fibre, condiments and spices and sugarcane ) occupy just 19 per cent of gross
cropped area (GSA) and contribute the same 44 per cent of total output of the crop sector.

Between 2004-05 and 2013-14, area under HVC’s in India increased by 9.16 million hectare
(Mha), at an annual growth rate of 3.31 per cent.

NOTE: Farmers’ income can also be increased by diversifying towards other allied
enterprises like forestry rather than surviving primarily on crop cultivation.

B. SOURCE OF INCOME GROWTH OUTSIDE AGRICULTURE SECTOR

IMPROVING TERMS OF TRADE FOR FARMER

Use of appropriate deflator to arrive at real income of farmers or agricultural sector. eg: CPIAL
(Consumer price index for agricultural labour). Better price realisation through online trading.
Opening of markets to traders outside the mandi through online marketing. eg: UMP (Unified
Market Platform).

eg: e-NAM (e- National Agricultural Market) and revision of APMC Act .

SHIFTING CULTIVATION TO NON FARM AND SUBSIDIARY ACTIVITIES

In rural areas, agriculture sector engages 64 per cent of the total workforce and contributes 39
per cent of total rural net domestic product. This represents overdependence of the workforce
on agriculture with significant underemployment. Income of farmers can be improved
substantially by shifting workforce away from agriculture. According to estimates of NSSO

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and CSO, non-farm sectors provide 2.76 times more productive employment than agriculture
sector in rural areas.

STRATEGIES FOR INPROVING FARMER'S INCOME

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 Increasing
incomes by
improving
productivity

Special Water and

Policy Agri-Input
Measures policies

Better
Integrated
market
Farming
price
System
realization

INTERVENTIONS TO DOUBLE THE FARMER'S INCOME

Strengthening of water storage structures, and efficient management of rain water harvesting.
Promoting timely and judicious use of fertilizers based on soil and water testing reports.
Adoption of cluster approach for holistic development of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and spices.
Timely availability of quality seeds/seedlings of vegetables and fruits. Promotion of high
density plantations in fruits. Efficient and timely use of integrated pest management practices.
Enacting legislative measures for protection of crops from wild animals.

Honourable Prime Minister has listed out seven strategies to help double the income of
farmers

Big focus on irrigation with large budgets and integrated policies , with the aim of “per drop,
more crop”.Provision of quality seeds and nutrients based on soil health of each field. Lage
investments in agricultural infrastructures such as warehousing and cold chains to prevent post-
harvest crop losses. Promotion of value addition through food processing . Creation of a
national farm market and removing distortions. Introduction of new crop insurance schemes
to mitigate risks at affordable cost like PMFBY (Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana).
Promotion of ancillary activities poultry, beekeeping and fisheries.

Other strategies that can be adopted are:-

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Assured irrigation

Economic development: With assured irrigation, the farmers get higher returns by way of crop
production throughout the year, the government in turn, benefits from the tax collected from
the farmers in base of the irrigation facilities extended.

preparing check
dams
water
harvesting

minimum
use of
water
mulches
losses
use of micro
irrigation

INTERCROPPING WITH VEGETABLE CROPS

Farmers grow rajmash, wheat, barley and buckwheat as an intercrop with apple. These
crops are low in productivity. Productivity of vegetable crops is 10 to 25 times higher
than pulses and cereal crops. Intercropping with high value off-season vegetables such
as pea, cabbage and cauliflower can be exploited to increase Farmers income.

IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN RAIN FED REGIONS OF

INDIA

◼ Watershed management

◼ Constructing check dams

◼ Farm ponds

INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM

It Involves;

◼ Synergic blending of crops

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 ◼ Horticulture

◼ Dairy

◼ Fisheries

◼ Poultry

◼ Dairy husbandry

◼ Intensive vegetable production using improved varieties, organic manure and drip
irrigation

REDUCING POST -HARVEST LOSSES

◼ Strengthening grain storage infrastructure

◼ Cool chain systems for perishables

◼ Post harvest processing

◼ Value addition

◼ Transport facility

◼ Marketing , Commerce and Trade

SHIFTING TO PROTECTED CULTIVATION

Strategies for off season production within protected conditions. Production/choice/selection

of crops according to market demand/price. Inclusion of high yielding & disease resistant
varieties. Increasing the cropping intensity to a maximum possible level. Inclusion of
rare/exotic/underexploited/high value crops. Protected cultivation under protective structures
shields the crops from insect pests and weather extremes for assured, climate-resilient and
increased production of quality produce.

SERICULTURE, A SELF-EMPLOYMENT SCHEME FOR THE YOUNG

ENTREPRENEURS

India is importing huge quantities of silk from China, South Korea, and Japan. To meet the
domestic requirements, silkworm rearing can be adopted on a large scale in the lower Shivalik
hills, where mulberry is growing a plenty under natural conditions. Multiply the mulberry
varieties suitable for silkworm rearing, distribute the material to the farmers, and develop
marketing linkages with the silk industry.

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MUSHROOM CULTIVATION

• Integration of mushroom cultivation with farming systems (crop-livestock system)

under low and mid-hill regions is important for increasing farm incomes.

PROCESSING AND VALUE ADDITION FOR REDUCING POST-HARVEST

LOSSES

Efficient procurement and disposal of surplus fruits and vegetables. Establishment of mini-
grading, packing and storage units. Promotion of Solar Dryers for processing excess
vegetables/ fruits/ flowers at the farm/ village/ panchayat level. Establishment of small scale
and mobile Processing Units for juice and pickle making of limited or heterogeneous stocks.
Promotion of common resources on custom hire basis viz. Power tiller, mini thresher, etc.

REDUCING COST OF CULTIVATION

Promotion of well decomposed FYM, Vermicompost and Bio-fertilizers to minimize the use
of chemical fertilizers.

Avoid broadcasting of seeds and fertilizers.

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 Promotion of hand tools in agricultural and horticultural operations. Promotion of use of Power
Tillers, Power Weeders, Paddy Threshers, Wheat Threshers, Maize Sheller, Wheel Hand Hoe,
Manual/ Power operated Wheat/Paddy Reapers. Promotion of mulching (bio-degradable
plastic) to maintain moisture and reduce intercultural operation cost. Promotion of pressurized
irrigation techniques in horticultural crops.

ZERO-BUDGET NATURAL FARMING

There is an urgent need to popularize the holistic farming technique of 'Zero Budget Natural
Farming (ZBNF)' based on the use of farm based inputs, developed by Sh. Subhash Palekar in
Maharashtra. Holistic natural farming techniques involving use of cow dung and urine to
reduce production costs and enhance farmers’ self-reliane. Branding of natural farm produce.

MAJOR CONSTRAINTS AND PRODUCTIVITY GAPS

Increasing input costs, such as seeds, fertilisers and irrigation. Irrelevance of minimum support
price, which the government pays farmers when it buys their crops. Absence of market
infrastructure, such as warehouses and cold storages. 85% of farmers do not benefit from
insurance. Several abiotic (drought, frost, hailstorms, floods, and insufficient chilling) and
biotic (insect pests, diseases, nematodes, monkeys, stray/wild animals, and birds) are the major
constraints to increase farm productivity.

The major limitations to increase crop productivity, profitability and diversification are:

Less than 20% of the total cultivable area is irrigated, while the rest of the area is rainfed along
the steep slopes of the mountains. Because of lack of irrigation, most of the farmers are not
able to take up intensive protected cultivation of high value cash crops (vegetables, fruits and
flowers). Except sheep and goats, which are largely owned by the nomads, animal husbandry,
poultry and fisheries have not been taken up commercially. Lack of transport and marketing
facilities, and lack of storage, processing and value addition are the major bottlenecks in turning
farming into an economically viable enterprise. Harvest and post-harvest losses result in
monetary losses of thousand of crores.

Conclusion

Doubling real incomes of farmers by 2022 is a formidable task but it can be possible only
through the proper implementation of the appropriate strategies.Public R&D institutions
should be supported to develop capacity in areas of technologies such as biotechnology which
appear to have great potential. Farming is a skilled profession and hence, people could be
skilled and motivated through various skill development programmes of the government.
Lucrative avenues can be created for those who want to leave agriculture and incentives and
skills those who want to enter/continue this occupation. Awareness about opportunities
available for commercialisation and diversification, better technologies, facilities, markets,
insurance, climate change, government policies, etc. must be created among the farmers.
Higher price realisation by farmers need to be achieved through various price realisation market
reforms like e-NAM and various provisions of APMC Act. Promotion of initiatives like soil
health card, ICT-based agricultural extension, formation of FPO’s, Integrated Farming

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System.Concerted and well-coordinated efforts are required to be made between the Centre
and the States.

Reference :

Chand, Ramesh (2016), “Why Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022 is Possible”, Indian
Express, Opinion Page, April 15.

Chand,Ramesh, Raka Saxena and Simmi Rana (2015), “Estimates and Analysis of Farm
Income in India, 1983-84 to 2011-12”, Economic and Political Weekly, vol.50, No 32, May
30.

Satyasai, K.J.S.(2015) and Sandhya Bharti(2016), “Doubling Farmers’ Income: A Way

Forward”, Rural Pulse, Issue No.14, March-April, NABARD, Mumbai.

Government of India(2005), Situation Assessment Survey of Farmers- Some Aspects of

Farming,NSSO Report 496, Planning Commission ,New Delhi.

Government of India (2014), Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households in

India, NSSO Report 70th Round, December.

Gulati,Ashok and Shweta Saini (2016), “ From Plate to Plough: Raising Farmers’ Income by
2022”, The Indian Express, March 28.

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