As per the 3^rd Advance Estimates 2023-24 released on 4^th June 2024 by Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, the area under commercial/cash crops has been increased from 18,214.19 thousand hectares in agriculture year 2021-22 to 18,935.22 thousand hectares in agriculture year 2023-24. The state wise details for the last three years are given at Annexure. Evidently, the production of commercial/cash crops (Sugarcane, Cotton, Jute & Mesta) has also increased from 4,80,692 thousand tonnes in agriculture year 2021-22 to 4,84,757 thousand tonnes in agriculture year 2023-24.

According the NITI Aayog Working Group Report, 2018, the Demand & Supply of food grains is estimated/ projected to the tune of 337.01 Million tonnes and 386.25 Million tonnes, respectively, for the future year 2032-2033, which indicates that the overall food grains will have quite comfortable position as far as food security is concerned. 

The Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing National Food Security Mission (NFSM) with the objective of increasing food grains production through area expansion and productivity enhancement in all the 28 States and 2 Union Territories (Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh) of the country. Under NFSM, assistance is given through State governments to farmers including small and marginal farmers for interventions like cluster demonstrations on Improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system, distribution of seeds of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs)/ hybrids, improved farm machineries/resource conservation machineries/ tools, efficient water application tools, plant protection measures, nutrient management/soil ameliorants, processing & post-harvest equipments, cropping system based trainings to the farmers etc. The Mission also provides support to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) & State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/ KrishiVigyan Kendras (KVKs) for technology back stopping and transfer of technology to the farmer under supervision of Subject Matter Specialists/ Scientists.

Further, the Government through its Price Policy ensure the remunerative prices to the growers for their produce with a view to encouraging higher investment and production and to safeguard the interest of consumers by making available supplies at reasonable prices. In this direction, Government announces Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for twenty-two (22) mandated crops including commercial/cash crops by offering a higher MSP for these crops.  The Union Budget for 2018-19 had announced the pre-determined principle to keep MSP at levels of one and half (1.5) times of the cost of production. Accordingly, Government is declaring MSPs for all mandated crops including commercial/ cash crops with a return of at least 50 per cent over all India weighted average cost of production from the agricultural year 2018-19. The Government has also adopted and implemented several policies, reforms, developmental programmes to increase the production of crops as well as income of the farmers in the country. Some of the important programmes are listed as follows:

1. Income support to farmers through PM KISAN

2. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

3. Institutional credit for agriculture sector

4. Promotion of organic farming in the country

5. Per Drop More Crop

6. Micro Irrigation Fund

7. Promotion of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)

8. Agricultural Mechanization

9. Providing Soil Health Cards to farmers

10. Setting up of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) extension Platform

11. Agri. Infrastructure Fund (AIF)

12. Improvement in farm produce logistics, Introduction of Kisan Rail.

13. Creation of a Start-up Eco system in agriculture and allied sector

14. Achievement in Export of Agri. and Allied Agri- Commodities

15. Central sector Scheme Namo Drone Didi.

Annexure

# Included in others

NR: Not Reported

NA: Not Applicable

Note: Commercial/ Cash Crops Includes Sugarcane, Cotton, Jute & Mesta.

Source: Third Advance Estimate 2023-24, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, New Delhi

This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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SS/2094