Open Forum
New Delhi, 22 January 2016
Impending Food Scarcity
WANTED: BALANCED, NUTRITIOUS FOOD
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
With a burgeoning population it is
essential that India
ensure adequate nutritious food, not just cereals, to feed its impoverished and
poor masses, specially those living in backward and rural areas. Therefore, eradicating
hunger needs to be given top most priority post haste.
More so, against the backdrop that
the Agriculture Ministry’s advance estimates of kharif production is 6 million
tonnes less than the last three years in the current fiscal totalling 124
million tonnes. Alongside, cereal output, estimated at 118 million tonnes too
is 5 million tonnes below the last three years’ average output while production
of pulses is placed at 5.6 million tonnes, half a million tonnes below the
three-year average.
Worse, there are apprehensions, not
without reason, that the country may face rice scarcity during summer. Whereby
the Government might be forced to import rice. Add to this, the procurement system,
distribution, support prices and food subsidies have outlived their utility and
is a hotbed of corruption.
Complicating matters, these
shortages come at a time when India lead a 50 developing nations group to stave
of attempts by rich countries to kill food and agriculture subsidies along-with
opening domestic markets to agricultural commodities at the recent WTO meeting
in Nairobi.
Undeniably, it is impossible for India, Brazil, Indonesia etc. to cut subsidies
and lower import duties so that agricultural commodities from the West can
easily invade the developing countries markets. This cannot and should not be
allowed at the cost of our farmer who depends on his small farm income for
survival.
Pertinently, this demand of the US and European
Union is not in tune with what it actually does. Think. The American Government
gave about $ 12 billion farm subsidies while India provided only Rs 25 lakh
crores ($ 40 billion) worth of these in 2014.
Adding to the farmers woes air pollution
has emerged as a big threat to wheat and rice production in the country. A
study conducted by scientists at the University
of California two years
ago found wheat yields during 2010 were on an average about 36 per cent lower
than they would have been, thanks to the absence of air pollution and climate
change.
For instance, in UP, the largest
producer of rice and wheat, the latter’s yields were 50 per cent lower in 2010.
Ditto was the case in Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where wheat losses ranged from 15 to 56 per
cent. Air pollution also negatively impacted rice production in Uttar Pradesh
but made no significant impacts on wheat yields in Punjab
and Haryana.
True, various studies point to
yields being higher in the absence of air pollution and climate change. Recall,
a study by the Benares
Hindu University
a decade back had measured the concentrations of certain air pollutants in rural
areas and surmised the higher their levels, the lower the yields of at least
three crops --- beans, spinach and wheat.
More. Vehicular exhaust and the
burning of fuel-wood are among the primary sources of soot and ozone. Be it
fuel emissions or unchecked industrial pollutants combined they are causing immense
problems, not just in our cities but also rural and semi-urban areas thereby affecting
directly or indirectly food production.
Consequently, the effect of food
scarcity would increase prices and severely impact the poor and impoverished
sections of society. This holds true of not just cereals but pulses and
vegetables output also which has to commensurate with demand and ensure prices
are kept under check.
Undoubtedly, productivity has to be
boosted with technological inputs so that per hectare yields could be increased
for cereals, pulses and vegetables. The Government needs to specially focus on
the East and North East where yields are below the national average. It should
endevour to make the much talked about lab-to-land approach become a reality.
However, it seems the NDA Government
is not giving adequate attention to evolving an effective farm policy and
ensuring productivity increase in all areas. In fact, analysts point out that
the rural sector is being neglected which might become a serious cause for concern
and completely erode public confidence.
Interestingly, the 68th
UN General Assembly has designated 2016 as the International Year of Pulses in
view of the need for higher growth and to meet the demands of the poorer
sections, specially in Third World countries including India. The IYP
aims to heighten public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part
of sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition.
Prime Minister Modi should seize the
opportunity and encourage connections through
food chains which would better utilize pulse-based proteins and increase
production of pulses. Specially against
the backdrop of rampant protein deficiency among women and children.
Clearly, the time has come to promote
pulses as they are affordable and a highly nutritious source of protein and
vital micronutrients and can greatly benefit people’s health and livelihood.
Further, they also offer great potential to lift farmers out of rural poverty
by getting them two to three time higher prices than cereals along-with
providing additional economic opportunities via processing.
Happily, this view is endorsed by
the UN Secretary General which too believes pulses contributed significantly in
addressing hunger, food security, malnutrition and health issues and are a
vital source of plant-based proteins and amino acids.
Therefore, India should
not fall into the trap of the developed world of stopping subsidies but
continue providing it to farmers along-with technological support to enable
them to increase productivity. It is vital to make sure the rural poor are
assured of a balanced and nutritious diet where pulses and vegetables should
play a crucial role to curb malnutrition. ----- INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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