National Food Security Mission – UPSC Prelims

NFSM aims to increase the production of rice, wheat, pulses and Coarse Cereals through area expansion and productivity enhancement;

Restoring soil fertility and productivity;

Creating employment opportunities; and

Enhancing farm level economy.

The basic strategy of the Mission is to promote and extend improved technologies, i.e., seed, micronutrients, soil amendments, integrated pest management, farm machinery and resource conservation technologies along with capacity building of farmers.

In the 12th Plan, NFSM aimed at raising the food grain production by 25 million tones

Besides rice, wheat and pulses, NFSM covered coarse cereals and commercial crops (sugarcane, jute, cotton) during the 12th plan period (2012-17)

Beyond the 12th Plan, the mission was continued with new additional targets of 13 million tonnes of food grains comprising 5 million tonnes of rice, 3 million tonnes of wheat, 3 million tonnes of pulses and 2 million tonnes of nutri-cum-coarse cereals from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Funding: 50:50 by Centre and State for food crops and 100% centre funding for cash crops.

NFSM presently comprises of the sub-components viz.,

Launched in 2007

Coarse cereals were also included in the Mission from 2014-15 under NFSM.