Implementation of national food security mission for pulse crops in Maharashtra

Deepak, Shah (2012): Implementation of national food security mission for pulse crops in Maharashtra.

Abstract

Despite several policy initiatives, projects and programmes undertaken in the past, the demand for pulses in India has always acceded supply due to stagnant or sluggish growth in pulse production. Since the programme initiatives in the past hardly led to any improvement in pulses production of India, the National Development Council (NDC) launched the ‘National Food Security Mission (NFSM)’ in 2007-08 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The NFSM comprises of three components viz. rice, wheat and pulses. The NFSM-pulses is being implemented in majority of the pulse growing states of the country and Maharashtra is not an exception. The present study, therefore, attempts to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of NFSM programme for pulses crops in Maharashtra. The study showed positive impact of NFSM programme on pulses crops cultivation in the state of Maharashtra since the element of profit involved in the cultivation of pulses crops turned out to be much higher in the NFSM district as against the non-NFSM district. Not only this, the net profit margins in the cultivation of pulses crops in NFSM district were substantially high in 2008-09 as against 2006-07 and 2007-08. The plausible reasons for rise in profit margins in the cultivation of pulses crops could be traced in rise in yield levels, higher prices on offer for pulses, adoption of improved varieties of seeds in pulses crops cultivation, area under improved varieties, higher adoption of recommended practices such as sowing, seed and other practices, including application of organic manure, chemical fertilizers, etc., assistance received under NFSM-pulses programme viz. improved varieties of seeds like breeder/foundation/certified seeds, assistance on Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) - micronutrients/line/gypsum, etc., assistance on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - micronutrients/line/gypsum IPM, provision of equipment like seed drills, pumpsets, sprinklers, conoweeder, Knapp-sack sprayers, participation of farmers in various training programmes, and reasonably assured market for the pulses produce.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: National Food Security Mission Pulse
• Subjects: Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy

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