Lok Sabha Question No. 2511 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-10
Subject: Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2511

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## NUTRITION SENSITIVE AGRICULTURE

## 2511.  DR. THIRUMAAVALAVAN THOLKAPPIYAN:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any scheme or policy framed to implement Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  initiated  any  program  in  support  with  Food  and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to promote Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k jkT; ea=h (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)

(a) & (b):   Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has implemented a programme on 'Nutri-Smart Village' to reach out 75 villages across India through the network of All India Coordinated Research Project on Women in Agriculture.  The objectives of the programme are promoting nutritional awareness, education and behavioural change in rural areas involving farm women and school children, harnessing traditional knowledge through the local recipe to overcome malnutrition and implementing nutrition-sensitive agriculture through homestead agriculture and Nutri-garden.  Concerted efforts have led to  the  development  of  171  biofortified  varieties  including  152  field  crop  and  19 horticultural  crop  varieties.  These  biofortified  varieties  assume  great  significance  to achieve  nutritional  security  of  the  country.  These  cultivars  have  been  improved  for essential  nutrients  viz.,  iron,  zinc,  calcium,  protein,  lysine,  tryptophan,  pro-vitamin-A, anthocyanin, vitamin-C, oleic acid and linoleic acid. The concentration of several antinutritional  factors  viz.,  erucic  acid,  glucosinolates  and  trypsin  inhibitor  has  been significantly reduced in some of the cultivars. Off-flavour of soybean grains has also been reduced. These biofortified cultivars with balanced concentration of nutrients are also high yielding, thus ideal for meeting country's 'food and nutrition security'.

Biofortified varieties are also promoted under National Food Security Mission (NFSM),  which  is  being  implemented  for  increasing  the  production  of  Pulses,  Rice, Wheat,  Coarse  Cereals  (Maize  &  Barley)  and  Nutri  Cereals  (Shree  Anna).  The Government of India has celebrated the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM) to promote the millets (Shree Anna) which have high nutritive value.

ICAR has also implemented Nutri-Sensitive Agricultural Resources and Innovations  (NARI)  Programme  through  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendra  (KVKs)  for  creating awareness on health and nutrition literacy.  KVKs conducted on-farm trials, technology demonstrations  on  nutri  rich  biofortified  varieties,  trainings  and  various  extension activities under NARI programme.  KVKs organized different training programmes and extension activities under different areas like promotion of nutrition garden, nutri-thali, value-addition, bio-fortified crops, etc.

Under  the  Scheme  'Support  of  State  Extension  Programs  for  Extension Reforms'  state  governments  efforts  are  supported  to  make  available  the  latest agricultural technologies and good agricultural practices in different thematic areas of agriculture  and  allied  sector  including  Nutrition  Sensitive  Agriculture  among  farmers through farmers training, demonstrations, exposure visits, kisan mela, mobilization of Farmer Interest Groups, Women Food and Nutritional groups and setting-up of Farm School in the field of awardees farmers.

(c) & (d): National Institute  of  Agricultural  Extension  Management  (MANAGE), Hyderabad had worked with Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in 2019-20 to develop training modules for two level of officers in agriculture & allied sectors i.e. Midsenior officers and Field level officers. The two sets of modules were developed and pilot tested. Thereafter, as part of the deliverables of the project,  MANAGE  has institutionalized training program on Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture since 2021.

Till  date  MANAGE has organized 20  training programs on Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture (18 national level and two international level training programs) in which 924 Officers were trained.

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