Review of Indian Agriculture Sector 2022-23 Key Statistics

Here’s the information from the Year-End Review 2022 of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

This article summarizes key developments in the Indian agriculture sector 2022-23, presented in an easy-to-understand bullet format and tables for agriculture students and teachers. It compiles the latest statistics and data on production, exports, schemes, infrastructure – including information on PM-KISAN, soil health cards, farm mechanization, horticulture and foodgrain output, agricultural exports growth in 2021-22, integrated agriculture markets through e-NAM, etc.

1. Record food grains and horticulture production:
   • Food grain production has reached 315.72 million tonnes in December 2022, the highest ever recorded.
   • Horticulture production has increased to 342.33 million MT during 2021-22, the highest ever for Indian horticulture.
2. Launch of the National Mission for Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO):
   • The NMEO has been approved with a total outlay of Rs. 11,040 crore.
   • It aims to bring an additional area of 6.5 lakh hectares under Oil Palm plantation in the next 5 years.
   • The mission focuses on providing viability prices of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) to farmers and ensuring assured procurement by the industry.
3. Increase in procurement from farmers:
   • The government has procured a significant quantity of pulses, oilseeds, and copra from farmers at Minimum Support Prices (MSP).
   • In the cropping year 2020-21, 12,11,619.39 MT of Pulses and Oilseeds were procured, benefiting 7,06,552 farmers.
   • In 2021-22, 31,08,941.96 MT of pulses, oilseeds, and copra were procured, benefiting 14,68,699 farmers.
   • Similar procurement has been carried out in the Kharif seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23.
4. Income support to farmers through PM KISAN:
   • The PM-KISAN scheme provides income support of Rs. 6000 per year to farmers in three equal installments.
   • As of December 2022, more than Rs. 2 lakh crore has been released to over 11 crore eligible farmers.
5. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY):
   • PMFBY aims to provide insurance coverage and financial support to farmers in case of crop damage.
   • Over 38 crore enrolled applicant farmers have received claims of over Rs. 1,28,522 crore till December 2022.
6. Promotion of organic farming in the country:
   • Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
     • Launched in 2015-16 to promote organic farming
     • 32,384 clusters formed covering 6.53 lakh hectares
     • Benefited over 16 lakh farmers
   • Natural Farming
     • Promoted on Ganga banks in UP, UK, Bihar – 4 lakh hectares covered
     • Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati scheme proposed to promote natural farming
   • North East Organic Mission
     • Launched Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East
     • Formed 379 Farmer Producer Companies covering 1.73 lakh hectares
     • Benefited over 1.89 lakh farmers
   • Organic Certification
     • Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) launched – lowest cost certification
     • Over 13 lakh small farmers PGS certified
     • Jaivikkheti portal launched to link farmers to consumers
     • Large area certification introduced for remote areas like islands
7. Export of Agri and Allied Agri- Commodities:
   • Total agricultural exports increased by nearly 20% from USD 41.86 billion in 2020-21 to USD 50.24 billion in 2021-22.
   • Wheat – growth of 273% (exports of USD 2.12 billion)
   • Non-basmati rice – growth of 27% (exports of USD 6.12 billion)
   • Raw cotton – growth of 48% (exports of USD 2.82 billion)
   • Castor oil – growth of 28% (exports of USD 1.18 billion)
   • Other cereals – growth of 54% (exports of USD 1.09 billion)
   • Coffee – growth of 42% (exports of USD 1.02 billion)
   • Fresh fruits – growth of 14% (exports of USD 0.88 billion)
   • Total agri exports were USD 30.21 billion compared to USD 26.98 billion in same period of 2021-22.
   • This shows a growth of 11% in the first 7 months of 2022-23 financial year.
8. Agricultural Mechanization:
   • Government allocated over Rs 5,400 crore for farm mechanization from 2014-15 to 2021-22
   • Over 13 lakh machines like tractors, power tillers etc. provided to farmers at subsidized rates
   • 18,824 custom hiring centers set up to rent farm machinery
   • 16,791 farm machinery banks created to give farmers access
   • Over 2 lakh machines provided in Punjab, Haryana etc. to address crop residue burning
   • Drones promoted for pesticide spraying, nutrients – 317 drones provided for demos in farmers’ fields
9. e-NAM (electronic National Agriculture Market):
   • Integrated 1,260 wholesale produce markets from 22 States and 3 Union Territories on one online platform
   • Allows farmers and traders to sell and buy agri produce online across markets
   • Registered 1.74 crore farmers and 2.37 lakh traders on e-NAM portal
   • Recorded trade of Rs 2.33 lakh crore via e-NAM since launch
10. Cluster Development Programme:
    • Launched to promote integrated, market-led development of 12 horticulture clusters
    • Cluster gap assessment completed to identify focus areas
    • Cluster development agencies appointed in all 12 clusters
11. Fixing MSP at 1.5 times Cost of Production
    • Government has fixed MSPs for all Kharif, Rabi and other crops at minimum 1.5 times the cost of production
    • Ensures 50% profit margin for farmers over their cost of cultivation
    • For 2022-23, MSP increased significantly (per quintal):
      • Paddy (Common) – Rs. 2,040
      • Wheat – Rs. 2,125
12. Institutional Credit for Agriculture
    • Institutional credit for agriculture sector increased from Rs. 16.5 lakh crore in January 2022 to Rs. 18.5 lakh crore in December 2022
    • Concessional crop loans are provided through Kisan Credit Cards (KCC)
    • Special drive undertaken to cover all PM-KISAN beneficiaries under KCC
    • 377 lakh new KCCs sanctioned with credit limit of Rs. 4.3 lakh crore
13. Soil Health Cards
    • Launched in 2015 to provide crop-wise nutrient recommendations
    • Over 23 crore Soil Health Cards issued to farmers across two cycles:
      • Cycle I (2015-17) – 10.74 crore cards
      • Cycle II (2017-19) – 11.97 crore cards
14. National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM)
    • Launched in 2020 under Atmanirbhar Bharat
    • Allocated Rs 500 crore budget from 2020-2023
    • 114 projects sanctioned with assistance of Rs 139 crores
    • Aims to aid beekeepers, boost honey production
15. Micro Irrigation Fund
    • Dedicated Rs 5,000 crore fund created with NABARD
    • Corpus increased to Rs 10,000 crore in 2021-22 budget
    • Projects worth Rs 4,710 crore approved covering 17 lakh hectares
    • Provides subsidized loans for drip, sprinkler irrigation
16. Per Drop More Crop
    • Launched in 2015-16 to improve water efficiency through micro irrigation
    • Promotes drip and sprinkler irrigation through subsidies
    • 69.55 lakh hectare area covered under micro irrigation as of December 2022
    • Helps reduce water usage and improve yields
17. Creation of Start-up Ecosystem in Agriculture
    • Initiative to promote agri start-ups and agribusiness incubators
    • 799 start-ups selected by agribusiness incubators as of January 2022
    • Support provided through grants – Rs 63 crore grants released so far
    • Number of start-ups supported increased to 1,055 as of December 2022
18. Promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)
    • New central scheme launched in 2020 to form and promote 10,000 FPOs
    • Allocated budget of Rs 6,865 crore
    • Aims to provide better access to finance, technology, inputs for small farmers
    • 4,016 FPOs registered under the scheme as of December 2022