Government puts Agriculture Sector on Fast Track

Government puts Agriculture Sector on Fast Track

The Government has taken a number of initiatives to boost agriculture production, develop high quality seeds, increase storage capacity and steps to reach the benefits of various research works from lab to land. Speaking to media persons yesterday, Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh enumerated various initiatives taken by Government since its formation in May 2014. The Government has launched Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) to promote use of organic farming and reduce dependence on chemical inputs, the minister said. Making a mention of Soil Health Card Scheme, he said that these cards will be issued to 3 crore farmers during current year and 5.5 crore cards each during next two years. Also 100 mobile soil testing laboratories will be made available during the current year, he added. Shri Singh said that during August 2014, 5 new customised fertilizers have been approved, so that farmers may get required nutrients for their fields. Mentioning initiatives in Horticulture Sector, Shri Singh said that with the launch of Saffron Park recently at Pampore (J&K), facility for processing packaging, e-auction of saffron will be available. Under a new initiative named ‘Chaman’ the horticulture crops would be mapped through remote sensing (Satellites). He further said that under Indo Dutch Cooperation project ‘centre of excellence’ have been approved in Jalandhar (Punjab), Baramati (Maharashtra), Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), which would develop modern technique for fruits and vegetables. Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that under National Agroforestry Policy 2014 a platform will be provided to stimulate component of farming system which will lead to meeting the ever increasing demand of timber, food, fuel, fodder, fertilizer, fibre and other agroforestry products; conserving the natural resources and forest; protecting the environment & providing environmental security; and increasing the forest/tree cover. Shri Singh further added that Government have also taken all possible steps to meet the challenge of drought and have announced a subsidy of 50% in diesel, seeds, where 50% rainfall deficit has been reported. An additional allocation of Rs. 700 crore under Mission of Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) during current year for availability of fodder has been made, he added. In addition, waiver of duty on import of de-oiled soya extract, groundnut oil cake, sunflower oil cake, canola oil meal, mustard oil cake, rice bran and palm kernel cake to increase availability of feed ingredients will also be given, he said. Elaborating the initiative taken in marketing sector, Shri Singh said Central Government has advised State Governments to keep fruits and vegetables out of the purview of Mandi regulations so as to bring down their prices. Process has already been started to set up ‘Kisan Mandi’ marketing sector, he added. A new scheme is proposed to be started in consultation with the State Government to provide insurance cover to production, productivity and farmers’ income. Shri Singh said that Government has also started giving information online regarding the registration of Multi State Cooperative Committees. In order to give better information facility about 30.5 crore agricultural messages were sent to farmers through SMS portal, he said. Mentioning initiative in crops and seeds development sector the Minister said that pulse production under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in all districts of J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand, Coarse cereals production under NFSM in entire North-Eastern Region (excluding Assam) has been made effective. Shri Singh said that 48 high quality seeds for various crops [foodgrains (34), pulses (6) oilseeds (4), fodder (2), sugarcane (2)] have been issued and notified. Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that Central Government have taken various steps to boost milk production and develop better breeds of bovine. There is 199 million bovine population in India, which constitutes 14% of total bovine population in the world. Out of this 83% are desi cows. The bovine genetic resource of India is represented by 37 well-recognised indigenous breeds of cattle and 13 breeds of buffaloes. The potential to enhance the productivity of the indigenous breeds through professional farm management and superior nutrients, as well as gradation of indigenous bovine germplasm will be done with an outlay of Rs, 500 crores, he added. Shri Singh said that National Kamdhenu Breeding Centre is being set up to protect indigenous breeds. Nucleus herd will be set up to increase productivity and to ensure genetic advancement of 37 cow breeding, 13 buffaloes breeds. In order to promote Agri Rail Network for transportation of milk, orders have been placed by AMUL and NDDB on behalf of Dairy Cooperative Federation for procurement of 36 new Rail Milk Tankers and will be made available by railways. This will help in movement of milk from milk surplus areas to areas of demand providing dairy farmers with greater market area, he said. Under a new initiative of National Blue Revolution the Government will fill in the critical gaps such as fish seed and feed and introduce new technology like cage culture and re-circulatory aquaculture systems. This will be ensured by participation of fishermen societies, cooperative bodies, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and more importantly women, and thereby make the National Blue Revolution an inclusive process, he said. Elaborating the initiative taken by Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE), Shri Singh said that two institutes of excellence on the pattern of Indian Agriculture Research Institute, Pusa, will be set up in the States of Assam and Jharkhand. An Agriculture University in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan and Horticulture university in Telangana and Haryana will be set up, he said. During the year 2014 in order to benefit farmers with latest agriculture technology two Krishi Vigyan Kendras have been established in the districts of Baksa in Assam and Ramgarh in Jharkhand. Also, Indian Institute of Biotechnology at Ranchi has been inaugurated during last week with a view to promote organic farming in that region, he added.

Agricultural income – Means ? Do you know what all does the agriculture income consist of ?

SECTION: 2. In this Act (The Income Tax Act), unless the context otherwise requires,—

SUB- Section: 1A) Agricultural income – Means

 [(a)  any rent  or revenue  derived  from land  which is situated in India and is used for agricultural purposes;]

 (b)  any income derived from such land by—

  (i)  agriculture; or

 (ii)  the performance by a cultivator or receiver of rent-in-kind of any process ordinarily employed by a cultivator or receiver of rent-in-kind to render the produce raised or received by him fit to be taken to market; or

(iii)  the sale by a cultivator or receiver of rent-in-kind of the produce raised or received by him, in respect of which no process has been performed other than a process of the nature described in paragraph (ii) of this sub-clause ;

(c)  any income derived from any building owned and occupied by the receiver of the rent or revenue of any such land, or occupied by the cultivator or the receiver of rent-in-kind, of any land with respect to which, or the produce of which, any process mentioned in paragraphs (ii) and (iii) of sub-clause (b) is carried on :

[Provided that—

  (i)  the building is on or in the immediate vicinity of the land, and is a building which the receiver of the rent or revenue or the cultivator, or the receiver of rent-in-kind, by reason of his connection with the land, requires as a dwelling house, or as a store-house, or other out-building, and

 (ii)  the land is either assessed to land revenue in India or is subject to a local rate assessed and collected by officers of the Government as such or where the land is not so assessed to land revenue or subject to a local rate, it is not situated—

(A)  in any area which is comprised within the jurisdiction of a municipality (whether known as a municipality, municipal corporation, notified area committee, town area committee, town committee or by any other name) or a cantonment board and which has a population of not less than ten thousand 10a [according to the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published before the first day of the previous year] ; or  Words "according to the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published before the first day of the previous year" shall be omitted by the Finance Act, 2013, w.e.f. 1-4-2014.

(B)  in any area within such distance, not being more than eight kilometres, from the local limits of any municipality or cantonment board referred to in item (A), as the Central Government may, having regard to the extent of, and scope for, urbanisation of that area and other relevant considerations, specify in this behalf by notification in the Official Gazette11.]

The following item (B) shall be substituted for the existing item (B) of clause (ii) of the proviso to sub-clause (c) of clause (1A) of section 2 by the Finance Act, 2013, w.e.f. 1-4-2014 :

(B)  in any area within the distance, measured aerially,—

 (I)  not being more than two kilometres, from the local limits of any municipality or cantonment board referred to in item (A) and which has a population of more than ten thousand but not exceeding one lakh; or

(II)  not being more than six kilometres, from the local limits of any municipality or cantonment board referred to in item (A) and which has a population of more than one lakh but not exceeding ten lakh; or

(III)  not being more than eight kilometres, from the local limits of any municipality or cantonment board referred to in item (A) and which has a population of more than ten lakh.

 [Explanation 1.]—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that revenue derived from land shall not include and shall be deemed never to have included any income arising from the transfer of any land referred to in item (a) or item (b) of sub-clause (iii) of clause (14) of this section.]

 [Explanation 2.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that income derived from any building or land referred to in sub-clause (c) arising from the use of such building or land for any purpose (including letting for residential purpose or for the purpose of any business or profession) other than agriculture falling under sub-clause (a) or sub-clause (b) shall not be agricultural income.]

 [Explanation 3.—For the purposes of this clause, any income derived from saplings or seedlings grown in a nursery shall be deemed to be agricultural income;]

The following Explanation 4 shall be inserted after Explanation 3 in clause (1A) of section 2 by the Finance Act, 2013, w.e.f. 1-4-2014 :

Explanation 4.—For the purposes of clause (ii) of the proviso to sub-clause (c), "population" means the population according to the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published before the first day of the previous year;