Rs 5,000-cr Plan to fortify food security
The government will spend Rs 4,882 crore in the 11th Plan to ensure availability of rice, wheat and pulses under the new National Food Security Mission (NFSM).
By Subhash Narayan, TNN |
NEW DELHI: The government will spend Rs 4,882 crore in the 11th Plan to ensure availability of rice, wheat and pulses under the new National Food Security Mission (NFSM). The National Development Council has approved the scheme aimed at ensuring adequate supply of essential commodities.
The fund would be released as the Centre’s budgetary support to achieve 10 million tonne additional production of rice. Similarly, additional production of 8 million tonne wheat and 2 million tonne pulses has been envisaged under the scheme, an official source said. The major beneficiaries of the scheme would be Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The proposal is being vetted by the expenditure finance committee (EFC) headed by the Cabinet secretary. Once cleared, it would be placed before the Planning Commission and then sent for Cabinet approval, the source added.
The new scheme has been launched as part of a major agricultural strategy the government intends to put in place to double the growth to 4% during the 11th Plan. The agriculture sector is key to realising the government’s target of increasing GDP growth to an average of 9% during the Plan.
However, the agriculture indicators are not good. According to estimates prepared by the Planning Commission, the annual per-capita production of cereals has declined from 192 kg during 1991-95 to 174 kg during 2004-07. Similarly, per-capita production of pulses has also dropped from 19 kg during 1971-75 to just 12 kg during 2004-07.
The new scheme would aim to arrest the trend as it would launch a nationwide mission, bringing an additional 4 million hectares under pulse cultivation covering 11 states and 168 districts besides extending the coverage area for rice and wheat cultivation. Under the scheme, the focus would be on use of improved technologies, incentives for promotion of hybrid seeds & micronutrients and pest management. All ongoing programmes would cease in districts where the mission is launched.
While the focus would be on involving small and marginal farmers, the mission would also encourage private participation in agriculture through contract farming.
NFSM envisages constitution of a general council at the national level under the Union agriculture minister with secretaries of concerned ministries, including Planning Commission, as members of a policy-making body giving overall directions.
The fund would be released as the Centre’s budgetary support to achieve 10 million tonne additional production of rice. Similarly, additional production of 8 million tonne wheat and 2 million tonne pulses has been envisaged under the scheme, an official source said. The major beneficiaries of the scheme would be Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The proposal is being vetted by the expenditure finance committee (EFC) headed by the Cabinet secretary. Once cleared, it would be placed before the Planning Commission and then sent for Cabinet approval, the source added.
The new scheme has been launched as part of a major agricultural strategy the government intends to put in place to double the growth to 4% during the 11th Plan. The agriculture sector is key to realising the government’s target of increasing GDP growth to an average of 9% during the Plan.
However, the agriculture indicators are not good. According to estimates prepared by the Planning Commission, the annual per-capita production of cereals has declined from 192 kg during 1991-95 to 174 kg during 2004-07. Similarly, per-capita production of pulses has also dropped from 19 kg during 1971-75 to just 12 kg during 2004-07.
The new scheme would aim to arrest the trend as it would launch a nationwide mission, bringing an additional 4 million hectares under pulse cultivation covering 11 states and 168 districts besides extending the coverage area for rice and wheat cultivation. Under the scheme, the focus would be on use of improved technologies, incentives for promotion of hybrid seeds & micronutrients and pest management. All ongoing programmes would cease in districts where the mission is launched.
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While the focus would be on involving small and marginal farmers, the mission would also encourage private participation in agriculture through contract farming.
NFSM envisages constitution of a general council at the national level under the Union agriculture minister with secretaries of concerned ministries, including Planning Commission, as members of a policy-making body giving overall directions.
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