Farming grows at average 1.6% in first 4 years of 12th Plan

Agriculture sector grew by an average 1.6 per cent per annum in first four years of the ongoing Five Year Plan (2012-17) as against the targeted 4 per cent annual growth due to lower production. “The average annual growth rate of agriculture and allied sector during the first four years of the current Five Year Plan period (2012-17) has been 1.6 per cent as against the 12th plan target of 4 per cent per annum,” MoS for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kundariya said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. He attributed the low average growth rate of farm sector to “set back in the annual crop production except for 2013-14 due to deficiency in the monsoon rainfall, moisture stress and unfavourable weather, temperature conditions adversely impacting production of Kharif and rabi crops”.