43% workforce in agriculture, not 70% as claimed

The question asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to state the steps taken to expand agriculture-based industries in villages and to address claims regarding the dependence of the population on agriculture and the economic condition of farmers.

Asked and answered by: Asked by Shri Kaushalendra Kumar; Answered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan).

What the government said

• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) has sanctioned 2,05,960 projects with a loan amount of ₹92,570.63 crore as of 10.07.2026.
• 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) have been registered under the FPO scheme, comprising 6.50 million farmer shareholders.
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) has established 1.65 lakh post-harvest units and 1,949 cold storages from 2014-15 to 2025-26.
• National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm processing capacity increased from 595 TPH before 2014 to 918.5 TPH in 2025-26.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) has sanctioned 1,735 projects with a total project cost of ₹33,163.34 crore as of 30.06.2026.
• Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) has approved credit-linked incentives to 2,00,421 micro enterprises.
• According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025, about 43% of the total workforce is engaged in agriculture and agri-related work.
• Average monthly income per agricultural household increased from ₹6,426 in 2012-13 to ₹10,218 in 2018-19 according to NSSO data.
• Rural average Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) increased from ₹1,430 in 2011-12 to ₹4,122 in 2023-24.

Also in the document

• The government stated that agriculture is a State subject, and the central government supplements state efforts through policy and budgetary support.
• The answer cites PLFS 2025 data stating 43% of the workforce is in agriculture, which differs from the '70 per cent' figure mentioned in the question.
• The answer provides income data from the 2018-19 NSSO survey and 2023-24 consumption expenditure data to address the query on economic conditions, rather than providing a direct qualitative assessment of current farmer conditions.