Lok Sabha Question No. 368 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-22
Subject: National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 368

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  22 ND  JULY, 2025

## NATIONAL MISSION ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

368. ADV GOWAAL KAGADA PADAVI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS' WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी

- be pleased to state: (a) the  status  of  distribution  of  climate-resilient  seed  varieties  to  farmers  under  the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA); (b) the  number  of  tribal  and  smallholder  farmers  in  drought-prone  regions  who  have received these seeds; (c) the details of funds allocated and disbursed for these seed programme in the past year; (d) the outreach mechanisms to ensure timely awareness and seed delivery; and whether mobile-based  advisories  on  crop  rotation  and  weather  are  integrated  into

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी          (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR) (a) & (b): Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has released a total of 2900 varieties during last 10 years (2014-2024), out of which, 2661 varieties are tolerant to  one  or  more  biotic  and/or  abiotic  stresses.    Under  National  Innovations  in  Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project, 298 climate resilient varieties tolerant to drought/flood/  heat  in  11  crops  were  demonstrated  involving  11,835  farmers,  across  the 448 villages in 151 climatically vulnerable districts across the country. About 5278 tribal and smallholder  farmers  in  72  drought-prone  districts  under  NICRA  project  received  tolerant

- seeds of different crops for undertaking field demonstrations.
- (e) these programme?

(c): Government of India is implementing Sub Mission on Seeds and Planting Materials (SMSP) from the year 2014-15 to promote production and multiplication of quality seeds of agricultural crops to make availability of required quantities of seed to farmers across the country. SMSP has now been merged with National Food Security and Nutrition  Mission (NFSNM)  from  2023-24.  During  2024-25,  an  amount  of  Rs.  270.90  crore  was  allocated under the seed scheme of SMSP (now merged with NFSNM) wherein   an amount of Rs. 206.86  crore  had  been  released  to  the  States/UTs  out  of  which  141.46  crore  has  been provided under   Seed Village Programme.

(d): Capacity building for establishing village level seed banks and community nurseries is  being undertaken under NICRA project that enable availability of seeds in the adopted villages.  Drought  and  flood  tolerant  climate-resilient  varieties  of  rice,  wheat,  soybean, mustard, chickpea, sorghum, gram, and foxtail millet were demonstrated in several NICRA villages.    Besides,  training  programmes  are      conducted  under  Agricultural  Technology Management  Agency  (ATMA)  on  various  issues  of  agricultural  practices  including  the awareness of using quality seeds among the farmers.

(e): To mitigate the impacts of adverse weather on agriculture, under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) scheme, medium range weather forecast for next 5 days at district and block are generated  by IMD.  Based  on  rainfall  and  other  weather  parameters along with weather forecasts issued by IMD, 130 Agromet Field Units prepare Agromet Advisories in English as well as in the regional language for dissemination through multiple channels. Also, farmers access weather information including alerts and related  agromet advisories specific to their districts through the mobile App viz., 'Meghdoot' launched by the Ministry of Earth  Sciences  which  is  available  in  English  and  13  regional  languages.  These  weather details are also accessible to farmers through 'Mausam' App of IMD.The Panchayat-level weather  forecast  information  is  accessible  through  multiple  digital  platforms,  including: eGramSwaraj (https://egramswaraj.gov.in/), 'Gram Manchitra' Application of MoPR (https://grammanchitra.gov.in/gm4MVC),  'Meri  Panchayat'  Mobile  App  and  Mausamgram web portal of IMD (https://mausamgram.imd.gov.in/).

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