North-eastern states to get Rs 100 crore under National Food Security Mission

NEW DELHI: The government is allocating Rs 100 crore to the north-eastern states for supporting various activities relating to rice cultivation, under the National Food Security Mission ( NFSM).

The interventions planned under NFSM are likely to improve rice yield, which is low in the northern-eastern states. It will also help the states in becoming self-sufficient in rice production.

"Till last year, only Assam was covered under NFSM-rice. Now all the eight north-eastern states, including Sikkim, are being covered under NFSM-rice this year," said an agriculture ministry official.

Under NFSM-rice, states are given assistance for a large number of activities including seed distribution, soil management, pest control, machines and tools, training and field demonstrations.

Among the beneficiaries, Assam will get the maximum assistance of Rs 30.94 crore followed by Tripura (Rs 21.88 crore), Nagaland (Rs 11.87 crore) and Manipur (Rs 11.45 crore).