New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS): Giving special impetus to organic farming, the Agriculture Ministry has set up 30,934 clusters and an area of 6.19 lakh ha, benefitting 15.47 lakh farmers, which increased to 32384 clusters and an area of 6.53 lakh ha has been covered benefitting 16.19 lakh farmers in December 2022.

Up to January, 2022, 11 lakh small and marginal farmers were certified under Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification scheme, whereas till December, 13.98 lakh small and marginal farmers will be certified under PGS certification.

Farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Jharkhand have taken up organic farming on either side of river Ganga to control river water pollution as well as to fetch additional income.

The budget allocation for the ministry of agriculture has been increased to Rs. 1,24,000 crore for 2022-23.

The ministry said that food grain production has increased from 308.65 million tonnes in January 2022 to 315.72 million tonnes in December 2022 (as per 4th advance estimates), which is the highest ever food grain production.

As per third advanced estimates, horticulture production during 2020-21 was 331.05 million MT, which increased to 342.33 million MT during 2021-2, the highest ever.

The ministry claimed that by fixing of MSP at one-and-a half times the cost of production, the government has increased the MSP for all mandated kharif, rabi and other commercial crops with a return of at least 50 per cent over all India weighted average cost of production from 2018-19.

MSP for paddy (common) has increased to Rs 2,040 per quintal in December 2022 from Rs 1,940 per quintal in January 2022.

MSP for Wheat increased from Rs 2,015 per quintal in January, 2022 to Rs 2125 per quintal in December, 2022.