The monthly average income of a farmer’s family in Odisha is `4,976 against national average of `6,426, informed Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Pradeep Maharathy in the State Assemblyon Wednesday.
In response to a question of BJP MlA Dilip Ray, the Minister furnished this information on the base of the National Sample Survey 70 th Round Report, July 2012-13. However, he stated that there is no regular and formal system for collecting dada on the average annual income of farmer families.
As per the NSA report, the monthly average income of each farmer family of Punjab remains highest at Rs 18,050 followed by `14,434 in Haryana, `11,888 in Kerala, `7,926 in Gujarat, `7,386 in Maharasthra, `7,350 in Rajasthan, `6,980 in Tamil Nadu, `5,959 in Andhra Pradesh and `3,980 in West Bengal.
Though Ray had wanted to know a comparison in farmers income between the 2003 and 2013, the Minister stated that the comparison can’t be made as there were differences in survey methods between the two financial years.