Jammu Kashmir’s Farm Households Earn Rs 18,918 a Month, Above National Average: NSO Survey | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s agricultural households reported an average monthly income of Rs 18,918 during the agricultural year July 2018 to June 2019, placing the Union Territory well above the national average of Rs 10,218, according to data presented in the Rajya Sabha.

The figures come from the National Statistics Office’s Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households, the most recent national-level assessment of farm incomes. The Government informed Parliament that no updated yearly estimates are available, as the last survey on agricultural household income was conducted in 2019.

The data shows wide disparities across States, with Haryana (Rs 22,841), Punjab (Rs 26,701) and Meghalaya (Rs 29,348) recording some of the highest monthly incomes, while Jharkhand (Rs 4,895) and Odisha (Rs 5,112) remained among the lowest.

Responding to concerns over low farm earnings, the Ministry said multiple factors contribute to income limitations, including productivity constraints, high input costs, limited diversification and dependence on fragmented landholdings. To address these issues, the Government outlined a broad set of interventions aimed at increasing farmers’ monthly and daily incomes through higher crop and livestock productivity, reduced production costs, improved market access, expansion into high-value agriculture, and shifting surplus labour to non-farm employment.

The Ministry said budgetary support for the agriculture sector has risen sharply from Rs 21,933.50 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1,27,290.16 crore in 2025-26. It added that increases in MSPs, expansion of infrastructure schemes, digital agriculture initiatives and income-support measures have significantly improved farm earnings in recent years.

The Government also highlighted a rise in rural consumption levels, noting that the all-India average Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure increased from Rs 1,430 in 2011-12 to Rs 4,122 in 2023-24, reflecting substantial growth in expenditure capacity.