Context: Recently, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare addressed the National Conference on Kharif Crops 2020 through a video conference in wake of Covid-19.
Key Points of the Conference

• The conference was focused on the states that they should aim to achieve the Kharif target and doubling the farmer’s income.
• Another session was organized on the sidelines of the conference which included Principal Secretaries of all the states and Agriculture Production Commissioners to share the challenges, achievements, and strategies to be adopted in states during the Kharif season.
• The main aim of the conference was to discuss various issues and list out steps in consultation with the States about preparedness for Kharif cultivation in view of the lockdown situation.
• The conference highlighted the vision of Prime Minister of “Goan, Garib aur Kisan” (Village, Poor and Farmers) should not suffer due to the crisis by urging the states to explain Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Soil Health Card schemes to each and every farmer.
• The states were informed that All India Agri Transport Call Centre has been started to ensure that Agriculture is not affected due to the lockdown.
• The conference highlighted the extensive use of e-NAM.
• The target of foodgrains production for the year 2020-21 has been fixed at 298.0 million tonnes as compared to 291.10 million tonnes in 2019-20.

However, during the same period the Gross Cropped Area (GCA) has increased from 182.28 million hectare to 196.50 million hectare, with net area sown remaining largely unchanged at 140 million hectare.

• Gross Cropped Area: It represents the total area sown once as well as more than once in a particular year. When the crop is sown on a piece of land for twice, the area is counted twice in GCA.
• Net Area Sown: It represents the total area sown with crops. The area sown more than once in the same year is counted only once.

Besides having record foodgrains production last year (2018-19), country has also produced about 313.85 million metric tonnes of horticulture produce from an area of about 25.49 million hectare, which accounts for about 13 percent of the total world production of fruits. India is the second largest producer of vegetables, after China.
About major new initiatives taken by the Ministry for increasing production of crops and income of the farmers like 

• Intensification of “Per Drop More Crop” under flagship Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) by promotion of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems for improving water and fertilizer use efficiency, 
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), 
• revised farmer friendly “Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)”,  
• e-NAM initiative to provide farmers an electronic online trading platform, 
• intensification of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Yojana, 
• introduction of Central Sector Scheme of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana (PM-KPY), 
• launching of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA ) scheme to ensure MSP to farmers for oilseeds, pulses and crops, and  
• Minimum Support Price (MSP)  at a level of at least 2 times the cost of production along with  various provisions for Direct Marketing in view of COVID-19 and 
• advisory/Guidelines for agriculture management in the event of lockdown to ensure better economic return to the farmers.

For Rabi crops

• As regards the Rabi crops, it has been decided that all States will ensure procurement at Village/Block levels as farmers are not allowed to move out of block due lockdown position. 
• In addition, all States are taking steps for Direct Marketing/purchasing of crop produce from farmers.
• Advisory/Guidelines have been issued to the all States and relaxation given for movement of trucks/ vehicles loaded with seeds and fertilizers to ensure timely availability of such inputs at Village/Block levels across the country. 
• Government has also strengthened the e-NAM system to provide farmers an electronic online trading platform and better economic return to the farmers.
• Despite several efforts in past decades, large agriculture area is still dependent on the monsoons and in the event of failure of monsoons, farmers have been facing hardship for survival of their crops. 
• In view to resolve these problems “Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayee Yojana” (PMKSY) is being implemented with aim to expanding cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water, enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies.
• The format of State Action Plan (SAP) for advance planning and implementation of the National Food & Nutritional Security Mission  (NF&NSM) has been simplified and reduced to about one page, so that States can get the SAPs prepared and submit the same to GoI after approval of competent authority with bare minimum efforts. 
• NF&NSM is mainly a mandate for production of foodgrains and is implemented on projectised mode through State Agriculture Departments across the country.
• Once SAPs are received, the same will be examined in a week’s time and approval will be conveyed to implementing agencies. 
• Project Monitoring Team exists at Central and State levels for guiding in formulation of SAPs and also for monitoring through field visit and farmers’ interaction. 
• Further, Geo-tagging of various interventions are also undertaken to ensure transparency in the programme implementation.