National Food Security Mission

The National Development Council (NDC)in its 53rd meeting held on 29th May, 2007 adopted a resolution to launch a Food Security Mission comprising rice, wheat and pulses to increase the production of rice by 10 million tons, wheat by 8 million tons and pulses by 2 million tons by the end of the Eleventh Plan (2011-12). Accordingly, A Centrally Sponsored Scheme, 'National Food Security Mission', has been launched from 2007-08 to operationalize the above mentioned resolution. 1.2 The National Food Security Mission will have 3 components (i)Rice (ii) Wheat &(iii) Pulses.

Objectives

In view of the stagnating food grain production and an increasing consumption need of the growing population, Government of India has launched this Centrally Sponsored Scheme, ‘National Food Security Mission’ in August 2007.

The major objective of this scheme is to increase production and productivity of wheat, rice and pulses on a sustainable basis so as to ensure food security of the country. The approach is to bridge the yield gap in respect of these crops through dissemination of improved technologies and farm management practices.

Major Components of NFSM

NFSM will have three components

1. National Food Security Mission – Rice (NFSM-Rice)
2. National Food Security Mission – Wheat (NFSM-Wheat)
3. National Food Security Mission – Pulses (NFSM-Pulses)

• Total financial implications for the NFSM will be Rs.4882.48 crores during the XI Plan (2007-08 – 2011-12). Beneficiary farmers will contribute 50% of cost of the activities / work to be taken up at their / individual farm holdings.
• Beneficiaries can choose to draw loans from the Banks, in which case subsidy amount prescribed for a particular component for which the loan availed will be released to the Banks.
• The implementation of the NFSM would result in increasing the production of rice by 10 million tones, wheat by 8 million tones and pulses by 2 million tones by 2011-12. It would also create additional employment opportunities

States covered under NFSM

• 24 States (Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal) will be covered under NFSM-Rice.
• 166 districts of 9 States (Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, MP, Gujarat, Maharashtra and West Bengal) will be covered under NFSM-Wheat.
• 468 districts of 16 States (AP, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, MP, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, UP and West Bengal) will be covered under NFSM-Pulses.
• 20 million hectares of rice, 13 million hectares of wheat and 4.5 million hectares of pulses are included in these districts that roughly constitute 50% of cropped area for wheat and rice. For pulses, an additional 20% cropped area would be created.