NITI Aayog to rank states on measures taken to increase farmers’ income

In a bid to keep track of the measures taken by states to increase farmers’ income, the government has decided to rank them based on their performance on farm sector policies, according to a report in The Economic Times. This, the government believes, will help it understand better the agriculture transformation happening across diverse regions.

The report said NITI Aayog is working to develop the Agriculture Transformation Index, which will measure the performance of states on seven points – inputs, sustainability, productivity and diversification, policy, preservation, processing and exports, and farmers’ income and welfare.

“The index is aimed at capturing the new policy paradigm in agriculture, at the core of which are sustainable diversification of crops, improvement in productivity and increasing farmers’ income,” an official told ET on the condition of anonymity.

The Aayog is working on this project with other stakeholder ministries. It has developed several indices — such as health, education and water sustainable development — to rank states annually on measurable parameters. The government believes the exercise will help improve the country’s overall performance across sectors, the report said.

The government has promised to double farmers’ income. In 2018, it accepted the proposals of a committee formed to suggest measures to be taken to double farmers’ income. Following the committee’s report, an empowered committee was formed to review and monitor the progress.

This panel recommended seven sources of income growth for farmers, including improvement in crop productivity, improvement in livestock productivity, and resource use efficiency.