India is in the grip of unprecedented food crisis due to its failed farm policy. Mere writing off loans of farmers would not bring more grains to the starving. Once surplus wheat production in the country, now finds itself in short supply even through the PDS for common man. It is for the govt to import wheat immediately and check the slide on food front. Learn something from Japan. It is one third in term of size and lower in terms of population but it is producing grains one and half times more than India.They dont import rice and japanese dear their own goods. There was once a food crisis in Japan and it was forced to import rice. But then there was a beeline in shops where Japanese rice were sold and no taker for imported rice. This is what patriotism means to them. Indians on the other hand crave for imported goods than their own and we leave nothing to say we are more patriotic. It is for sure we are nowhere near Japanese in terms of patriotism. All said and done, India's farm policy must change. It should reduce farms inputs prices drastically, ecourage more and more farming of food grains as more farmers turning to selling lands for real estate. This should be stopped as India's food grain needs would double in a couple of years owing to rice in population.Bearing this in mind UPA govt should chalk out a programme to improve its food position.All important essentials should be sold through PDS to check prices in the open market or else India is bound to face trouble.
RE:India's farm policy - Food crisis serious
by Chai Kulkarni on Apr 25, 2008 08:20 AM Permalink
patriotism is an absurd notion in context of food. what people should look at is value (quality and price) and no matter whether it is imported or home grown only that will make our farmers efficient
