New Delhi: The Economic Survey of India, which was tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday, has presented a very promising picture of growth in agriculture and the allied sector as the survey has stated that the agriculture sector has been witnessing a robust growth with an average annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent over the last six years.
In terms of access to agricultural credit, the government has set a target of Rs 18.5 lakh crore in agricultural credit flow in 2022-23. In 2021-22, it was about 13 per cent more than the target of Rs 16.5 lakh crore.
As per the Survey, India has emerged as the net exporter of agricultural products, with exports in 2021-22 touching a record USD 50.2 billion.
“With its solid forward linkages, the agriculture and allied activities sector significantly contributed to the country’s overall growth and development by ensuring food security,” it said, adding that the sector grew by 3 per cent in 2021-22 compared to 3.3 per cent in 2020-21 and in 2020-21, exports of agriculture and allied products from India grew by 18 per cent over the previous year.
The Economic Survey has attributed the sector’s growth and buoyancy to the “measures taken by the government to augment crop and livestock productivity, ensure certainty of returns to the farmers through price support (Minimum Support Price) and promotion of crop diversification.”
It further stated that income support to farmers through the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) and the promotion of allied activities has led to diversification in sources of farmers’ income by improving their resilience to weather shocks.
The survey has also listed the number of steps taken by the government in line with the recommendations of the Committee on Doubling of Farmers Income.
Though the government has constituted a jumbo committee on MSP guarantee and recommendations of the panel is yet to come in this regard, the Survey has stated that the government has been increasing the MSP for all 22 Kharif, Rabi and other commercial crops with a margin of at least 50 per cent over the all-India weighted average cost of production since the agricultural year 2018-19.Given nutritional requirements and changing dietary patterns and to achieve self sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds production, the government has fixed relatively higher MSP for pulses and oilseeds, it said.
The survey has also noted that India has the highest number of organic farmers in the world at 44.3 lakh, and 59.1 lakh ha area has been brought under organic farming by 2021-22.