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

• Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF): 2,05,960 projects sanctioned with a loan amount of ₹92,570.63 crore as of 10.07.2026.
• Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs): 10,000 FPOs registered with 6.50 million farmer shareholders; ₹621.07 crore in equity grants released.
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): 1.65 lakh post-harvest units and 1,949 cold storages established from 2014-15 to 2025-26.
• National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO): 400 oil mills established in 2025-26; oil palm processing capacity increased to 918.5 TPH in 2025-26.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY): 1,735 projects sanctioned with a total project cost of ₹33,163.34 crore as of 30.06.2026.
• Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME): Credit-linked incentives approved for 2,00,421 micro enterprises amounting to ₹5,954.57 crore.
• Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS): Approximately 43% of the total workforce is engaged in agriculture and agri-related work in 2025.
• NSSO Survey: Average monthly income per agricultural household increased from ₹6,426 in 2012-13 to ₹10,218 in 2018-19.
• ICAR Compilation: 75,000 farmers reported increasing their income more than two times through scheme convergence.

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