Increasing crop productivity is not the only solution to prevent farmers' suicides but schemes like Prime Minister's Crop Insurance scheme could deter them from taking the extreme step, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said in Rajya Sabha today.
Listing a number of steps taken by the government including setting up a nationwide e-mandi on April 14 to help farmers sell their produce at the best rates, Singh said the government believes that farmers' welfare would improve if there was a hike in the net income from the farms, along with increasing the productivity of crops.
"With this end in view, besides enabling higher productivity, the approach of the government is also to reduce cost of cultivation and ensure realisation of remunerative prices to farmers for their produce," the Union Minister said.
During Question Hour, he said the major initiatives in this direction include Soil Health Card scheme, promotion of neem-coated urea, implementation of Paramaparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
Singh claimed the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana has addressed all shortcomings in the earlier schemes and would be available to the farmers at very low rates.
The minister also informed the House that the per hectare productivity of most agricultural crops cultivated in India was less compared to China and many countries in Europe and America.
He said the government is implementing several schemes through the state governments to increase the production and productivity and improve the income levels of farmers.
The estimated crop production this year was more even though there was greater effect of drought on crops this year.
On steps to help double the farm income by 2022, the Minister said government is consulting with states to change their crop marketing laws and 11 states have sent in 200 suggestions in this regard.
He said a country-wide e-mandi is being set up on April 14 to help farmers sell their produce at the best rates. Most states except Punjab have agreed to change their laws in this regard.
Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjiv Baliyan said in order to enhance production and productivity of various agricultural crops in the country, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) carries out research programmes in different crops.
He asserted that the government has also taken a number of steps like initiating Joint Liability Group to promote small farmers as the size of farming plots was now getting smaller primarily due to division of families.
