Area under cash crops in India has gone up: Minister

New Delhi: The area sown under commercial or cash crops such as sugarcane, cotton, jute and mesta has increased from 18,214.19 thousand hectares in in agriculture year 2021-22 to 18,935.22 thousand hectares in agriculture year 2023-24, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare Ram Nath Thakur told the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

The production of these cash crops has also increased from 4,80,692 thousand tonnes in agriculture year 2021-22 to 4,84,757 thousand tonnes in agriculture year 2023-24, the Minister said.

He further stated that according to the NITI Aayog Working Group Report, 2018, the demand and supply of foodgrains is projected to the tune of 337.01 million tonnes and 386.25 million tonnes, respectively, for the year 2032-2033, which indicates that the overall foodgrains position would be quite comfortable as far as food security is concerned.

Ram Nath Thakur said that the Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare is implementing a National Food Security Mission to increase foodgrain production through area expansion and productivity enhancement in all 28 States and 2 Union Territories (Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh) of the country.

Under the mission, assistance is given through state governments to farmers including small and marginal farmers for interventions like cluster demonstrations on an improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system, distribution of seeds of high-yielding varieties, improved farm machinery, efficient water application tools, plant protection measures, nutrient management/soil ameliorants, processing & post-harvest equipment, cropping system based training to the farmers, etc.

The mission also provides support to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) for technology backstopping and transfer of technology to the farmer under the supervision of scientists, he added.

Further, the government ensures remunerative prices to the growers for their produce with a view to encouraging higher investment and production and to safeguard the interest of consumers by making supplies available at reasonable prices.

In this direction, the government announces Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops including commercial/cash crops by offering a higher MSP for these crops, the Minister said.

Ram Nath Thakur also said that the government is declaring MSPs for all mandated crops including cash crops with a return of at least 50 per cent over all India weighted average cost of production from the agricultural year 2018-19.Area under cash crops in India has gone up: Minister