New Delhi: While the COVID-19 situation has been quite distressing for agriculture sector, the government has transferred over Rs 19,000 crore to bank accounts of 9.65 crore farmers under the PM-KISAN scheme during the lockdown period.

The Centre provides Rs 6,000 per year to around 14 crore farmers in three equal installments under the PM-KISAN scheme, which was announced last year in February.

"Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme during the lockdown period from March 24 till date, about 9.55 crore farmer families have been benefited and an amount of Rs 19,100.77 crore has been released so far," the agriculture ministry said in a recent statement.

More area under Summer Crops this year, procurement too rises

Giving update on sowing operations for kharif (summer sown) crops, the ministry said about 34.87 lakh hectares area has been covered so far under paddy as compared with 25.29 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year.

About 12.82 lakh hectares area is under pulses coverage as compared with 9.67 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year.

Sowing of coarse cereals has reached about 10.28 lakh hectares area as compared with 7.30 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. About 9.28 lakh hectares area has been sown under oilseeds as compared with 7.34 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year.

"A quantity of 5.89 lakh tonnes gram (chana), 4.97 lakh tonnes mustard and 4.99 lakh tonnes toor (arhar) has been procured by NAFED during the lockdown period," the statement said.

In a separate release, the ministry informed about planned activities to expand Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) in rainfed areas.

A series of webinars are scheduled by Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare to educate states on the 60 agro-climatic zone wise IFS models developed by Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR), it said.

The first webinar was held on Friday for Central Plateau and Hills (MP and Rajasthan), Gujarat Plains and Hills and Western Dry Region (Rajasthan).

IFS has tremendous potential for increasing incomes of small farmers from the same plot of land by adopting a multi-tier system of crops, horticulture, poultry, animal husbandry, agroforestry and some value addition too.