Granting Industry Status to Agriculture

Granting Industry Status to Agriculture

Part of: Prelims and Mains GS-III: Agriculture

In News: Agriculture plays a vital role in the country’s economy and giving the importance to agriculture sector, the Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation for the agriculture sector. 

Significance: The Government seeks to bestow on the agriculture sector as many benefits as available to those in the manufacturing sector, such as, easy availability of credit and other inputs and infrastructure facilities for development of agriculture sector including marketing and post-harvest management.

1. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): To provide income support to all farmers’ families across the country, to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs
2. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY): To provide social security net for Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF) as they have minimal or no savings to provide for old age and to support them in the event of consequent loss of livelihood 
3. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): To provide better insurance coverage to crops for risk mitigation, a crop insurance scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was launched 
4. Minimum Support Price (MSPs): Increased in the Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi crops. 
5. Soil Health Cards: Distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers so that the use of fertilizers can be rationalized. Soil health cards have been issued free of cost to nearly 11 crore farmers under a nationwide program.
6. “Per drop more crop” initiative under which drip/sprinkler irrigation is being encouraged for optimal utilization of water, reducing cost of inputs and increasing productivity. Per Drop More Crop component of Pradhanmantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY_PDMC) aims to increase water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro Irrigation technologies, i.e., drip and sprinkler irrigation systems.
7. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) for promoting organic farming. 
8. National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) scheme: Launch of e-NAM initiative to provide farmers with transparent and competitive online trading platform.
9. Har Med ParPed: Under the scheme, agro forestry is being promoted for additional income. With the amendment of Indian Forest Act, 1927, Bamboo has been removed from the definition of trees. A restructured National Bamboo Mission has been launched in the year 2018 to promote bamboo plantation on non-forest government as well as private land and emphasis on value addition, product development and markets.
10. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PMAASHA): Aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for the produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018.  This is an unprecedented step taken by Govt. of India to protect the farmers’ income which is expected to go a long way towards the welfare of farmers.
11. Price Support Scheme (PSS): Increase in procurement under PSS 
12. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): Bee keeping has been promoted under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) to increase the productivity of crops through pollination and increase the honey production as an additional source of income of farmers.
13. Institutional Credit for Agriculture: To ensure flow of adequate credit, Government sets annual target for the flow of credit to the agriculture sector, Banks have been consistently surpassing the annual target. 
14. Interest Subvention Scheme: Extending the reach of institutional credit to more and more farmers is priority area of the Government and to achieve this goal, the Government provides interest subvention of 2% on short-term crop loans up to Rs. 3.00 lakh. Further, under Interest Subvention Scheme 2018-19, in order to provide relief to the farmers on occurrence of natural calamities, the interest subvention of 2% shall continue to be available to banks for the first year on the restructured amount. In order to discourage distress sale by farmers and to encourage them to store their produce in warehouses against negotiable receipts, the benefit of interest subvention will be available to small and marginal farmers having Kisan Credit Card for a further period of upto six months post harvest on the same rate as available to crop loan.
15. Kisan Credit Card (KCC): The Government has extended the facility of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to the farmers practicing animal husbandry and fisheries related activities. 
16. Creating of Corpus Fund
    • Micro Irrigation Fund – Rs. 10,000 crore.
    • Agriculture Infrastructure Fund of Rs. One Lakh Crore.
17. Farmers’ Producer Companies (FPOs): Formation and Promotion of Farmers’ Producer Companies (FPOs) to form and promote 10,000 FPOs.
18. Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF) :Government has approved a new central sector scheme viz., Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) of Rs. 1,00,000 Crore to provide a medium-long term loan facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest market infrastructure including warehousing facility and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support. 
19. Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI): A sub-scheme of Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing (ISAM) under which assistance is provided for construction/ renovation of godowns/ warehouses in the rural areas in the States to enhance the storage capacity for agriculture produce

News Source: PIB