Question : DECLINE IN PRODUCTION OF FOODGRAINS

(a) the details of projects, targets and achievements in the production of foodgrains during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;

(b) whether the production of foodgrains has witnessed declining trends due to shift of farmers towards cultivation of cash crops and decline in agricultural land on account of urbanisation, industrialization and growing population of the country;

(c) if so, the details thereof along with its impact on poverty and starvation in the country; and

(d) the strategy formulated by the Government to address the issues of adverse impact on foodgrain production and enhancing the production of the same?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a): The main programmes taken up by Government of India for increasing the production of foodgrains are National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) a sub scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The State wise targets and achievements for the production of foodgrains during the last three years and the current year are Annexed.

(b) & (c): The normal production of foodgrains (Average from 2008-09 to 2012-13) in the country is 242.73 million tonnes. The area and production of different crops fluctuate year to year and season to season depending upon various factors. The production of foodgrains achieved during 2013- 14 was 264.77 million tonnes (4th Adv. Estimates), which was an all time record and adequate to meet the domestic demand.

(d): National Food Security Mission (NFSM) has been continued during 12th plan period with inclusion of coarse cereals. The mission targets to produce additional 25 million tonnes of foodgrains consisting of 10 million tonnes of rice, 8 million tonnes of wheat, 4 million tonnes of pulses and 3 million tonnes of coarse cereals by the end of 12th Plan.

The basic strategy under NFSM is to promote improved technologies, i.e., adoption of quality seeds, enhancing farm efficiency through improved agronomic practices like line sowing, System of Rice Intensification (SRI), direct seeding, soil amendments, integrated nutrient management, integrated pest management, enhancing water use efficiency and resource conservation technologies and proven crop production technologies developed by National Agricultural Research System etc.