National Food Security Mission

The Government of India through the National Development Council (NDC) has launched the National Food Security Mission (NFSM). The mission was mainly developed to increase the production of food grain in the state. Also, this scheme facilitates in developing new high-yielding/hybrid varieties of field crops, horticultural crops and breeder seeds for promoting the sustainable agricultural sector in the nation. In this article, we look at the National Food Security Mission in detail.

Objectives of the Scheme

The objectives of the National Food Security Mission are given below:

To improve the production and productivity of wheat, rice and pulses on a sustainable basis.
To raise the income of farmers through enhanced technologies and farm management practices.
To ensure food security in the country.

Components of NFSM

NFSM has five major components as mentioned below:

National Food Security Mission - Food Gain Crops (NFSM-Food Gain Crops)
National Food Security Mission - Coarse Cereals (NFSM-Coarse Cereals)
National Food Security Mission - Commercial Crops (NFSM-Commercial Crops)
National Food Security Mission - Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NFSM- National Food Security Mission)
National Food Security Mission - Seed Village Programme (NFSM-Seed Village Programme)

NFSM Subsidy

Assistance for Hybrid/Certified Seed

Under NFSM, the assistance for seed is limited to 2 hectares per farmer as per below table:

Particulars	Crops types	Subsidy Rate
Rice	Hybrids Varieties	Rs. 50 per kg or 50% of the cost whichever is less Rs. 10 per kg for varieties less than 10 years
Wheat	Varieties	Rs. 10 per kg for varieties less than 10 years
Pulses	Varieties	Rs. 25 per kg or 50% of the cost, whichever is less for varieties less than 15 years
Coarse Cereals	Varieties	Rs. 15 per kg or 50% of the cost whichever is less for varieties less than 10 years

Assistance for micronutrients/lime/gypsum or sulphur containing fertilizers

Under NFSM, the assistance of fertilizers is for a maximum of two hectares for rice, wheat and pulses:

Fertilizer	Subsidy Rate
Micro-nutrient	Rs. 500 per hectare or 50% of the cost whichever is less
Liming or paper mud of acidic soil	Rs. 1000 per hectare or 50% of the cost whichever is less
Gypsum/other sources of sulphur	Rs. 750 per hectare or 50% of the cost whichever is less
Bio-fertilizers	Rs. 100 per hectare or 50% of the cost whichever is less

Assistance for Commercial Crops

The commercial crops covered under NFSM are Cotton, Jute and Sugarcane and the below table explains the financial assistance:

Crop	Type of Front Line Demonstration (FLD)	Subsidy Rate
Cotton	Integrated Crop Management Field FLD on Desi and ELS Cotton/ ELS Cotton Seed Production FLD on Intercropping Trials on High-Density Planting Systems (HDPS)	Rs.7,000 Rs.8,000 Rs.7,000 Rs.9,000
Jute	FLD on Alternate Retting Technologies Production Technology/ Intercropping	Rs.20,000 RS.8,000
Sugarcane	Intercropping in Sugarcane Single bud chip technology	Rs.8,000 Rs.8,000

Selection of Beneficiaries

The Gram Panchayats is responsible for the selection of beneficiary farmers. Only the farmers who are willing to cooperate and contribute some of their resources should be selected. Selection of beneficiaries should be made by adopting a “Participatory” approach. The allocation to SC/ST farmers is performed with respect to their population in the district. At least 33% of the fund is allocated for small and marginal farmers and 30% of the fund to be allocated for women farmers. Note: National Food Security Mission is currently implemented in 638 identified districts of different states. Also, read about Food Security Card

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about National Food Security Mission Overview and Subsidies.

The National Food Security Mission is a scheme launched by the Government of India through the National Development Council (NDC) aimed at increasing the production of food grains in the country. It facilitates the development of new high-yielding/hybrid varieties of field crops, horticultural crops, and breeder seeds to promote sustainable agriculture.

The key objectives of the National Food Security Mission are to improve the production and productivity of wheat, rice, and pulses on a sustainable basis, raise the income of farmers through enhanced technologies and farm management practices, and ensure food security in the country.

The NFSM has five major components: National Food Security Mission - Food Grain Crops (NFSM-Food Grain Crops), National Food Security Mission - Coarse Cereals (NFSM-Coarse Cereals), National Food Security Mission - Commercial Crops (NFSM-Commercial Crops), National Food Security Mission - Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NFSM-Oilseeds and Oil Palm), and National Food Security Mission - Seed Village Programme (NFSM-Seed Village Programme).

Under the NFSM, the assistance for hybrid/certified seeds is limited to 2 hectares per farmer. The subsidy rates vary for different crops, ranging from Rs. 10 per kg for wheat varieties less than 10 years old to Rs. 50 per kg or 50% of the cost (whichever is less) for rice hybrids.

The NFSM offers assistance for micronutrients, lime/gypsum, or sulphur-containing fertilizers for a maximum of two hectares for rice, wheat, and pulses. The subsidy rates vary from Rs. 500 per hectare or 50% of the cost (whichever is less) for micronutrients to Rs. 1000 per hectare or 50% of the cost (whichever is less) for liming or paper mud of acidic soil.

The NFSM provides financial assistance for commercial crops such as cotton, jute, and sugarcane. The assistance ranges from Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 20,000 per Front Line Demonstration (FLD), depending on the crop type and demonstration activity.

The Gram Panchayats (village councils) are responsible for selecting the beneficiary farmers under the NFSM. The selection process should adopt a "Participatory" approach, and only farmers willing to cooperate and contribute some of their resources should be chosen.

Under the NFSM, the allocation to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) farmers should respect their population in the district. At least 33% of the fund is allocated for small and marginal farmers, and 30% of the fund is allocated for women farmers.

According to the article, the National Food Security Mission is currently implemented in 638 identified districts across different states in India.

Towards the end, the article briefly mentions the Food Security Card scheme, which is related to the broader goal of ensuring food security in the country.