India has no food problem as such. The problem is about proper distribution and storage. About a third of food grain and vegetables get wasted because of lack of storage facilities. Farmers in Punjab are more interested to produce Basmati for exports than to produce wheat or ordinary rice. However, overall there is no problem but the problem is that farmers do not get good price. Potato for example is too cheap, below the cost of production. if people eat potato instead of rice or wheat, what is the problem? In the world scale too, if all Future Markets and Commodity Exchanges and Derevative Trades( which is nothing but gamblings) would be banned, the price will calm down immediately. Speculators are driving up prices and then they will burn food stocks or put these in the sea, as they do from time to time.
Its high time somebody expose the harm done to the country by these so-called economists. They may be honest men , but that honesty has proved to be futile to ua all
The food situation is more complex, but the article is good as starting point. Rice and wheat prices are high partially due to drought in Australia, growing world population, growing meat consumption where 1 kg of meat requires 8 kg of grain, depleting water resource etc.
For India, there is nothing wrong with the poor having more than one meal a day, they should and that is to be applauded. But there are more efficeient varieties of rice that can be grown requiring less water, but due to corrution using water a source for gaining votes, these varieties are not grown. UK is a small country, I doubt that 2.5% ethanol will have huge impact om food crops. There was ethanol before in petrol, but it was not regulatory just voluntary. Bio-ethanol is a fuel for the future, but using grass and non-edible plants rather than grains.
TR Shenoy is not in India, he is not writing about Indian situation about which he may not know anything. World prices of rice and wheat are about thre times more than that in India. The prices of wheat and rice in India are determined at the farm level by the government, then it varies from state to state through the middlemen. India normally does not import any food, so the world prices do not matter. Only Sharad Pawar imported food at a very high prices to give these at a very low prices to the BPL groups, so that he and his friends can make a lot of money. Potato farmers in India are in ruin because of very low prices they are getting. The problem is different in India. Rediff.com written from abroad does not have any clue.
RE:The Idiotic Writer
by Vijay on Apr 22, 2008 04:04 PM Permalink
You are telling price are determined by govt at farm level. Yes. This is one policy which effects the poor farmer. Grain exporters buy from these farmers at this price and export. They were doing this till government banned the exports. Now why govt did not ban it earlier? They are part of government and firends of Sharad Pawar.
I think this govt is not capable of leading our india anymore. They made our country to a waistland by providing the foriegn retailers to establish in india and supressed the indian farming. Now they are telling the food production is reducing, how com it will incerase? Govt is helping to market fast foodsand training people to buy readymade foods.Our govt.must change otherwise our country will be in very bad condition. yesterday I read an article related medical researches and 200crores for cococola products. Why they need to waist money on that areas. Provide healthy foods then they don't need to think of medicines. Use this money in agriculture.Introducing new insurance polices and loans for farmers.Do you think these are beneficial for our poor farmers? the copanies are making profits. This is the way govt. is suporting poor indians. Supressing them from all their activities introducing new rules then only the farmers are frustrated and stop farming so that Govt. can suport foreigners marketing in india. Poor indiand knows all govt. tricks. If they are not getting profit from farming why they need to suffer that is our indians thinking. Indians are clever than our govt.Poor Indians won't have enough food to eat but the govt is trying to get n-deal for reducing their pockets hunger.
I visited India in 1981 and I noticed in Punjab around Jullundur that agriculture land was converted into single family detached houses. What a stupidity! Impact is being felt now.
India does not need single family homes. What it needs are high rise buildings like Bombay.
