Lok Sabha Question No. 4064 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Promotion of Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Mani A

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4064

TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 TH  MARCH, 2026

## PROMOTION OF NUTRITION SENSITIVE AGRICULTURE

4064. SHRI MANI A:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE क ृ िष  एवं  िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has framed or is implementing any scheme, policy or guidelines to promote Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture aimed at improving availability, accessibility and consumption of nutritious crops such as millets, pulses, fruits and vegetables; (b) whether  such  initiatives  are  being  implemented  in  State  of  Tamil  Nadu, particularly in Dharmapuri  district,  which has a  high  dependence  on  rainfed agriculture and nutrition-related challenges; (c) the  details  of  programmes  encouraging  diversification  towards  nutrient-rich crops, kitchen  gardens, biofortified  varieties  and  integrated  farming  systems  in  the district; (d) whether  convergence  with  schemes  relating  to  women,  child  nutrition  and public health has been ensured at the district level; and (e) the  steps  taken  to  strengthen  awareness,  capacity  building  and  market support to promote Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture among small and marginal farmers in Dharmapuri district?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY) (a) to (e): The Government is implementing various centrally sponsored schemes to promote nutritious crops such as millets, pulses, fruits and vegetables. To address nutrition  sensitive  agriculture,  the  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR) implemented a programme on Nutri-Smart  Village  to  reach out  75  villages  across India including 5 villages in Tamil Nadu through the network of All India Coordinated Research Project on Women in Agriculture. The objectives of the programme were to  promote nutritional awareness, education and behavioural change in rural areas involving farm women and school children; to harness traditional knowledge through the  local  recipe  to  overcome  malnutrition;  and  to  implement  nutrition-sensitive agriculture through homestead agriculture and Nutri-garden.

As  part  of  its  activities,  the  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendra  (KVKs)  are  implementing Nutri-Sensitive Agricultural Resources and Innovations (NARI) for creating awareness on health and nutrition literacy. KVKs conduct frontline demonstrations, training  programmes and extension activities on various aspects of NARI including nutri-thali, nutrition garden, bio-fortified crop varieties, etc. During 2024-25, a total of 13,614  nutri-gardens  including  210  in  Dharmapuri  district  were  established  with 15774 farm families. Bio-fortified varieties of different crops (cereals, millets, pulses, oilseeds,  tubers  and  vegetables)  were  demonstrated  in  the  area  599.88  ha  and covered 2328 farm families by 1,807 demonstrations to improve nutritional status of the  farming  community.  KVKs  also  conducted  2,312  demonstrations  on  value addition  of  different  crops  viz.  cereal,  millets,  vegetables  and  fruits  in  which  3,746 farm families.

The  Department  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare,  Government  of  India  is implementing  various  schemes  like  National  Food  Security  &  Nutrition  Mission (NFSNM),  Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, and Mission for Integrated Development  of  Horticulture  (MIDH)  to  increase  the  production  of  crops  such  as Shree Anna, Pulses, Fruits and Vegetables thereby also encouraging diversification towards  nutrient-rich  crops.  In  addition,  the  State  Government  of  Tamil  Nadu  has informed that to increase the production of Pulses, Millets, Fruits and Vegetables, it is  implementing  various  State  Government  funded  schemes  such  as  Tamil  Nadu Millet  Mission,  Hill  Farmers  Development  Scheme  (Special  scheme  for  Tribal farmers) and Nutrition Farming Mission.

Dharmapuri  is  the  leading  producer  of  Millets  in  the  state  of  Tamil  Nadu, known for its cultivation in Finger millet and Pearl millet. To create awareness among the  people,  exhibitions,  district  level  festivals,  Road  shows,  creation  of  awareness programmes are conducted under  NFSNM-Shree  Anna. A Millet Mela was conducted  in  Dharmapuri  on  17.08.2025.To  enhance  the  nutrition  of  people& promote consumption of traditional nutrient millets, a pilot scheme to distribute 2 kg Ragi/Family  Card  through  Public  Distribution  System  is  being  implemented  by  the State government  of Tamil Nadu.  Further in Dharmapuri, as per the State Government of  Tamil  Nadu,  30500  vegetable  seed  kits,  18800  fruit  plant  kits  and 2000 pulses seed kits have been distributed in Dharmapuri district benefiting 51,300 beneficiariesunder  the  Nutrition  Farming  Mission.In  addition,  Area  Expansion  in Fruits and Vegetables has been carried out in 453 Ha in Dharmapuri District. Under NFSNM, the state has conducted demonstrations in an area of 4085 ha for millets and 1050 ha for pulses in the Dharmapuri district

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