Knowledge level of beneficiaries and non- beneficiaries about Food Security Mission (NFSM) interventions

Commodity focused programme along with public research, extension and investment in infrastructure is one of the major government interventions which can affect the crop productivity. In this context, the impact of National Food Security Mission (NFSM) on increasing the production and productivity of wheat crop in India was analyzed as a product of the synergistic effect of technology, policy and institutions. The study was undertaken in Jammu division of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, to know the knowledge level of farmers about wheat production technologies under NFSM on a sample of 120 beneficiary and 60 non-beneficiary farmers. 47 per cent beneficiaries had medium level of knowledge followed by 30 per cent farmers who had low level of knowledge and 25 per cent farmers had high level of knowledge regarding NFSM interventions. The mean knowledge score was 19.58 (±5.64). Whereas, in case of non- beneficiaries 42 per cent non-beneficiaries had low level of knowledge followed by 30 per cent farmers who had high level of knowledge and 29 per cent farmers had medium level of knowledge regarding NFSM interventions. The mean knowledge score was 2.75 (±4.26). There was significant difference in average knowledge score of NFSM and non-NFSM farmers. With the help of multiple linear regression method, it was found that age, agriculture as main occupation, nearest market and newspaper significantly affected the knowledge possessed by the NFSM farmers regarding NFSM interventions.