Country can achieve 4% growth in farm sector: Prime Minister

NEW DELHI: Expressing confidence of 4 per cent growth in the agriculture sector during 12th Plan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the government was bringing a food security legislation on back of higher foodgrain output and crop diversification.


"We achieved 3.7 per cent growth per year in agriculture during the Eleventh Plan compared with only 2.4 per cent in the Tenth Plan. We are targeting 4 per cent in the Twelfth Plan, and I am confident we can do it," Singh said addressing the fourth Anniversary of UPA-II government.

He also said that agriculture wages grew sharply in the UPA regime.

"Faster agricultural growth, combined with government programmes such as MGNREGA, and the expanded pace of investment in rural infrastructure have improved real wages of agricultural labour.

"Agricultural wages grew at 6.8 percent per year in real terms after 2004, which is six times faster than the rate of growth between 1994 and 2004," Singh said.

The report card said UPA government is committed to enact the National Food Security Bill and highlighted that agri-credit to farmers has been increased five-fold and food subsidy bill more than three-times during its tenure.

"Our efforts at increasing food grain production are working as also our efforts to diversify agriculture. This is the foundation which allows us to introduce Food Security legislation in parliament," Singh said.

The UPA government is committed to the enactment of the National Food Security Bill, which legally entitles families under Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) for 35 kg of foodgrains per month and other families for 5 kg per person at subsidised rates under PDS, the UPA report card said.

The government had tried to get the Food bill -- promised by the Congress in its election manifesto in 2009 -- passed in the Lok Sabha in the recently-concluded Budget session. The debate on the proposed law could not be concluded amid din.

The Food Bill aims to provide legal right over fixed quantity of foodgrains at a uniform price of Rs 1-3 per kg per month to 67 per cent of the country's population.

"Agriculture credit has increased five-folds to help small farmers improve productivity," the report said.

Farm credit in the 2012-13 fiscal has crossed Rs 6 lakh crore, as against Rs 1.25 lakh crore in 2004-05 fiscal. This fiscal, the Centre has set credit target of Rs 7 lakh crore.

The report card also mentioned that "there has been more than three-fold increase in food subsidy during UPA tenure. It reflects government's commitment to ensure adequate food at affordable prices for all, especailly the poor."

Foodgrains stocks in the country were at record levels during the year as efforts in strengthening agriculture sector have led to record production in recent years, it added.

Foodgrains production was at record 259.32 million tonnes in 2011-12 crop year (July-June), while the output is expected to around 255.36 tonnes in the current year.