The following initiatives announced in Budget 2014- 15 have brought the issue of sustainability and climate adaptation to the forefront:
- The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana with allocation of ` 1000 crore.
- Neeranchal, a new programme with an initial outlay of ` 2142 crore in 2014 to give additional impetus to watershed development in the country,
- The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change, with an initial sum of ` 100 crore, and
- A scheme to provide, in mission mode, a soil health card to every farmer, with an allocation of ` 100 crore. An additional amount of ` 56 crore has been allocated to set up 100 mobile soil-testing laboratories across the country.
- India ranks first in milk production, accounting for 17% of world production. During 2013-14, milk production peaked at 137.69 MT, thus becoming an important secondary source of income for 70 million rural households engaged in dairying. The average yearon- year growth rate of milk, at 4.18% visà- vis the world average of 2.2%, shows sustained growth in availability of milk and milk products for the growing population.
- Egg production was around 73.89 billion in 2013-14, while poultry meat production was estimated at 2.68 MT.
- Fisheries constitute about 1% of the GDP of the country and 4.75% of agriculture GDP. The total fish production during 2013-14 was 9.58 MT, an increase of 5.96% over 2012-13.
- For sustainable and continuous growth of the livestock sector by emulating the success achieved in the dairy and poultry sectors, across species and regions, the National Livestock Mission has been launched in 2014-15 with an approved outlay of ` 2,800 crore during the Twelfth Plan.
- This Mission is formulated with the objective of sustainable development of the livestock sector, focusing on improving availability of quality feed and fodder, risk coverage, effective extension, improved flow of credit, and organization of livestock farmers / rearers.
- As mandated, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommends MSPs at national level for twenty three crops, but effectively price support operates primarily in wheat and rice and that too in selected states. While the country is dependent on imports for pulses and oilseeds (edible oils), their prices often fall below the MSP as there is no effective price support.
- To enhance efficiency of procurement and public distribution and to extend the benefits of MSP to local farmers, the Decentralized Procurement (DCP) scheme has been adopted by some state governments. To overcome the problem of gaps in the flow of information about procurement operations on day-to-day basis, an Online Procurement Monitoring System (OPMS) has been evolved for reporting and monitoring on a daily basis, procurement operations for wheat, paddy, and coarse grains in the country.
- The buffer norms for foodgrains in the central pool which were in existence since April 2005 have been revised in the backdrop of increased off-take of foodgrains under the TPDS in the last few years and with the coming into force of the NFSA with effect from 5 July 2013.
- As against the buffer stock norm of 21.41 million tonnes of rice and wheat (as on 1January of each year), total central pool stocks were 61.6 million tonnes as on 1 January 2015.
- In this regard, the government set up a High Level Committee (HLC) in August 2014 under the chairmanship of Shri Shanta Kumar to suggest inter-alia restructuring or unbundling of the FCI with a view to improving its operational efficiency and financial management.
