Government to assess plight of farmers under National Sample Survey'19
What's the story
To assess the plight of farmers, the government will conduct a pan-India survey to ascertain their income and indebtedness among other issues for the current crop year (July-June). The 'Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households' will be conducted during the 77th round of the National Sample Survey in the current calendar year, Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said. Details here.
Survey
Aim: Provide 'comprehensive assessment of the situation of agricultural households'
The survey aims to provide a "comprehensive assessment of the situation of agricultural households in the country, including their income, expenditure, and indebtedness," said the minister. The last such survey was conducted for the reference year 2012-13 (crop year). Thereafter, the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has not conducted any such survey. Shekhawat said comparable estimates for rise in income during 2014-18 aren't available.
Factors
Periodicity of survey based on the requirements of concerned ministry
The minister informed, "...as such, the comparable estimates for the rise in income of agricultural households during 2014-2018 are not available." Shekhawat further said that the periodicity of such a survey is decided on the basis of requirements of the concerned ministry, adequacy of the current data, availability of resources and manpower, emerging areas of concern and development priorities of the government.
Other surveys
NSSO conducts other surveys after every five years: Shekhawat
Shekhawat also mentioned that given the vastness of the country's size and resources involved, the NSSO conducts other surveys on household consumer expenditure and employment-unemployment after every five years. The inter-ministerial committee on doubling farmers' income by 2022 has considered the estimates of agriculture households' income obtained from the 70th round of NSS survey data as the base level income, he added.