Farmers earn lesser than industrial, services sector workers: Agriculture minister

Radha Mohan Singh total number of agricultural workers in the country increased from 234.1 million in 2001 to 263 million in 2011. Therefore, it cannot be categorically stated that farmers are leaving the profession of agriculture.

Farmers are earning less than workers in industrial and services sectors because of lower farm output, Parliament was informed Tuesday.

"Income from the farm sector is less as compared to income from industrial and services sector," Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh told the Lok Sabha.

"Less income is due to low productivity in the agriculture sector, on account of preponderance of small and marginal holdings coupled with uncertainty of weather, lack of market access and lack of access to irrigation," he added.

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The minister said that although the share of agriculture sector in total Gross Value Added in 2015-16 is only 15.3% at 2011-12 prices, the share of agriculture workers in the total workers is 54.6% as per Census 2011.

However, he said the industry and services sectors together account for 84.7% of the Gross value Added and only 45.40% of the total workers are engaged in these two sectors.

"As per the Census data, the total number of agricultural workers in the country increased from 234.1 million in 2001 to 263 million in 2011. Therefore, it cannot be categorically stated that farmers are leaving the profession of agriculture," Singh said.

The minister informed that the government has taken various steps to increase the income of farmers.

He said the government has formulated various schemes, including Soil Health Card, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna, to increase production and productivity of crops, reducing input cost and initiating market reforms.