No specific census/survey of landless farmers has been conducted by this Ministry. Therefore, the exact number of landless farmers and farming on crop sharing basis with land-owners in the country is not available. However, number of wholly leased-in operational holdings/landless farmers in the country as per the latest Agriculture Census 2015-16 is 5,31,285.

Agriculture being a State subject, the State Governments undertake implementation of agricultural schemes/programmes for the welfare of farmers including landless farmers and the Government of India also supplements these efforts through implementation of various central sector/centrally sponsored schemes/programmes. Among these, the schemes which specifically cover landless, tenant farmers and sharecroppers are the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) & Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) and Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme.

Under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, farmers receive KCC loans at a subsidized interest rate of 7%. To facilitate this, an up front interest subvention (IS) under Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) of 1.5% is provided to financial institutions. Additionally, farmers who repay their loans promptly receive a 3% Prompt Repayment Incentive (PRI), effectively reducing the interest rate to 4% per annum. The benefits of IS and PRI are available for loan limits up to Rs.3 lakhs. However, if the short-term loan is taken for allied activities (other than crop husbandry), the loan amount is limited to Rs.2 lakhs only. 

As per master circular of RBI dated 04^th July, 2018, under the KCC scheme, Oral lessees and Share croppers, Self Help Group or Joint Liability Groups of farmers including tenant farmers, share croppers are eligible for short term loans.

Further, to provide relief to the farmers on occurrence of natural calamities, the component of interest subvention is available on the restructured amount to banks for the first year and such restructured loans would attract normal rate of interest from the second year onwards as per the policy laid down by RBI.

IS and PRI on restructured crop loans is also given to farmers affected by severe natural calamities for a maximum period of 5 years based on the report of Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) for grant of NDRF assistance and Sub-Committee of National Executive Committee (SC-NEC).

This information was given by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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