08-15-2008, 07:01 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Malthusian nightmare </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
Are we running out of food?
The Economic Outlook Report for 2008-09, released on Wednesday by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, does not reveal a very promising picture as far as food security is concerned. At its simplest food security means that all the people of the country have sufficient food to eat, to be able to remain healthy and active and also not to have to worry about food in future. Thus, for food security to prevail, sufficient food must be grown to feed everybody adequately. Also part of food security is that people have sufficient access to food. In the absence of food security, a country is forced to import food, which is a situation that can rapidly translate into crisis. Foodgrain production in India has always been important to the country's food security. Of late there have been several indications that there may be problems in this area. The XIth Five Year Plan document had taken note of this problem. The Government has made several interventions such as the National Food Security Mission, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and the distribution of high quality seeds that were intended to boost agricultural. Though these have helped, the problem persists. The Economic Outlook Report indicates that despite the recent upward trend in foodgrain production, food security remains an area of concern. The Government also admits that growth is still short of requirement. Although there was a record foodgrain production of 230.7 million tonnes in the year 2007-08, there will be a shortage of about 20 million tonnes if the projected growth in demand for food by the end of the XIth Five Year Plan is considered.
The report suggests that some of the old problems that plague the agricultural sector still exist. These include a slow down in fertilizer, irrigation and energy use at the level of the farm. It also indicates technological stagnation. The report has also agreed with the XIth Five year plan document that crop intensity and area under cultivation have shown a decline. The report notes that the earlier trend of crop diversification has shifted from high value to low value, less risky and less input demanding crops. There has also been a decline in both public and private investment, absence of new technologies, as well as deterioration in soil health. It has also pointed out that agriculture in India is largely monsoon dependent, something that continues to afflict agricultural production in India. All of this suggests that there has been a certain amount of complacency on part of the Government as far as agricultural production and irrigation are concerned. It is time, therefore, that the Government paid more attention to these sectors.
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The Pioneer Edit Desk
Are we running out of food?
The Economic Outlook Report for 2008-09, released on Wednesday by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, does not reveal a very promising picture as far as food security is concerned. At its simplest food security means that all the people of the country have sufficient food to eat, to be able to remain healthy and active and also not to have to worry about food in future. Thus, for food security to prevail, sufficient food must be grown to feed everybody adequately. Also part of food security is that people have sufficient access to food. In the absence of food security, a country is forced to import food, which is a situation that can rapidly translate into crisis. Foodgrain production in India has always been important to the country's food security. Of late there have been several indications that there may be problems in this area. The XIth Five Year Plan document had taken note of this problem. The Government has made several interventions such as the National Food Security Mission, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and the distribution of high quality seeds that were intended to boost agricultural. Though these have helped, the problem persists. The Economic Outlook Report indicates that despite the recent upward trend in foodgrain production, food security remains an area of concern. The Government also admits that growth is still short of requirement. Although there was a record foodgrain production of 230.7 million tonnes in the year 2007-08, there will be a shortage of about 20 million tonnes if the projected growth in demand for food by the end of the XIth Five Year Plan is considered.
The report suggests that some of the old problems that plague the agricultural sector still exist. These include a slow down in fertilizer, irrigation and energy use at the level of the farm. It also indicates technological stagnation. The report has also agreed with the XIth Five year plan document that crop intensity and area under cultivation have shown a decline. The report notes that the earlier trend of crop diversification has shifted from high value to low value, less risky and less input demanding crops. There has also been a decline in both public and private investment, absence of new technologies, as well as deterioration in soil health. It has also pointed out that agriculture in India is largely monsoon dependent, something that continues to afflict agricultural production in India. All of this suggests that there has been a certain amount of complacency on part of the Government as far as agricultural production and irrigation are concerned. It is time, therefore, that the Government paid more attention to these sectors.
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