Covid 19 pandemic had led to lockdown which inflicted  various problems to different strata of society.Ensuring  food security to the suffering poor became the most important concern of the government during the pandemic.  Prime Minister’s call for AtmaNirbharBharat  was fulfilled by toiling farmers who gave a bumper harvest leading to enough buffer stocks of food grains.  This has actually helped  government to implement Pradhan MantriGaribKalyan Anna yojana successfully giving  assured food grains rice or wheat to ration card holders free of cost so that nobody will go hungry during lockdown. National Food Security Mission  isaimed at increasing the production of rice  wheat and pulses.  Union Agriculture Ministry had approved Rs 527 crore for implementing NFSM in 2021-22. Out of this Rs 7.51 crore is for NFSM Rice, Rs 27.65 crore for NFSM Pulses, Rs 2.49 crore for NFSM Coarse cereal, Rs 12 crore for nutri cereals, and Rs 3 crore for pulses. This year priority is given for nutricereals and pulses under NFSM.

Shri Parthepan Assistant Agriculture officer Manachanallur said that under NFSM scheme red gram seeds are given to farmers in Manchanallur block. The scheme is implemented with 100 per cent subsidy from central government. At present red gram is covered in 100 hectare and will be expanded to 600 hectares.  Under NFSM 60 hectares is selected for Demoplot and then farmers are given Co8 variety of seeds. One demoplot covers one hectare and this can be followed by farmers. Moreover farmers can keep the seeds in packet so that they can sow the seeds when it rains. Under the NFSM nutricereals scheme seeds for nutricereals will be given to farmers next week. Black gram is cultivated under the scheme which will be harvested by January end. Nutri cereals demo will be done in 100 hectares and it will be expanded to 3500 hectares in Manachanallur block. Harvest will be done after three months.  Under the NFSM nutricereals scheme sorghum will be cultivated in 3500 hectares, bajra in 300 hectares, and maize in 700 hectares. The agriculture official said that as technical support under NFSM pulses subsidy of Rs 34000 is given to farmer to buy rotavator worth Rs 1.10 lakh. The beneficiary should be a farmer who is having own land and should own a tractor.

Shri Jagadeesh farmer from Poonampalayam in TiruchirapalliManachannaluur block said that he is cultivating sorghum, fodder crop, groundnut and red gram. The farmer said that NFSM scheme is very useful and he is getting expert advise form agriculture officials. He sells red gram in local market and uses in his household. This really helps to ensure nutritious food for his family. He said that samba paddy will be sown in October.

National Food security mission ultimately aims to increase food grain production ensuring food for all. The scheme had helped government to successfully implement PM GaribKalyanYojana by giving wheat rice and pulses free of cost  through ration shops to over 80 crore needy and poor  beneficiaries. Agriculture officials on the other hand are giving technical help to farmers to utilise their farm land effectively cultivate variety of crops.

Agriculture officials Shri Partepan Shri Baskaran with Poonampalayam farmer Shri Jagadeesh

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