PremiumNEW DELHI : Centre has planned to increase millets production and has fixed annual target for the millet production, said Union Minister of state for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.
In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the minister said that for increasing the production of Nutri-Cereals under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) programme, the NFSM-Nutri Cereals is being implemented in 212 districts of 14 states.
Jyoti added that under NFSM, assistance is given through state governments to farmers for interventions like cluster demonstrations on improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system, distribution of seeds of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs)/hybrids, improved farm machineries/resource conservation machineries/tools, efficient water application tools, plant protection measures, nutrient management/soil ameliorants, processing & postharvest equipments, cropping system based trainings to the farmers etc.
She said that the mission also provides support to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) & State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) for technology back stopping and transfer of technology to the farmer under supervision of Subject Matter Specialists/Scientists.
“The research organizations are supported for undertaking research projects that can help enhancing production and productivity of food crops," the minister added.
Jyoti said that the State Governments can also promote cultivation of millets under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana – Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture & Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY- RAFTAAR) with the approval of the State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) of the respective states.