In this article we will discuss about the causes of food problem in India along with the measures to deal with it.
Causes of Food Shortage:
Food shortage is a recurring phenomenon which periodically bedevils Indian economy. Too long have India watched the three year cycle of food shortage followed by a year of bumper crops. A little reflection would suggest that the causes of the malaise are deep- seated. They involve the whole complex of land relations in the country besides a large number of economic and social factors.
There are, generally speaking, two things which deteriorate the food situation and make it more intense and difficult. First, a rapidly mounting burden on the land resulting from the rapidly growing population. Second, a declining trend in the average productivity of land. Besides these, there are other factors also which have affected the food supply.
1. Partition of the Country:
This deteriorated India’s food situation to a great extent because the foodgrains surplus areas of West Punjab, Sind and E. Bengal went over to the share of Pakistan, while the foodgrains deficit areas of Madras, Orissa, and W. Bengal remained in India. This reduced her agricultural production and created difficulties both for the foodgrains and commercial crops like cotton and jute.
After partition India had obtained 82 per cent of the total population of the Undivided India, but her share in the total area was 77 per cent. Her share in the area under rice was 72 per cent; wheat 70 per cent; cereals 75 per cent and under irrigation 70 per cent. Pakistan got more of cultivated area and irrigated land to feed a comparatively small percentage of population. All those areas which traditionally are famine tracts because of their frequent affliction by drought formed part of the Indian Union.
This was responsible for rendering the food production of the country highly unstable and making the country more vulnerable to scarcities and famines than Pakistan. The position became worst when about 10 m. displaced persons migrated to India from Pakistan. India’s foodgrains deficit increased by nearly a million tonnes by the separation of Pakistan in addition to a deficit of 1.39 m. tonnes by separation of Burma. Thus, a serious blow to India’s food economy came in the wake of depletion of reserve stocks and the necessity of imports increased correspondingly.
2. Increase in Population:
India’s population has been rising at a rapid rate. It was 238 million in 1901. Since then it has grown at a sporadic rate. In the first, 20 years (1901-20) the growth rate was 5.4 per cent. In the next 20 years (1921-40), it was 25.23 per cent and in the next 20 years (1941-60) it was 34.9 per cent. It rose to 547 m. in 1971. During 1951-61 we added 80 million more people, and this addition was of the order of 108 million during 1961-71. Population increased by 24.6 per cent during the decade of 1961-71.
The table given below shows the trend of increase in population since 1951:
With every increase in population, the net area sown per capita has been going down. It declined from 1.11 acres in 1911-12 to 1.04 acres in 1931- to 0.94 acres in 1941 to 0.84 acres in 1951 and to 0.75 acres in 1961 and to less than 0.60 in 1971. With the decline in the cultivated area per capita, the share of food and other produce of cultivation available to each individual has been declining. It is an all pervasive fact that whilst the area of cultivated land, irrigated and double-cropped had decreased since 1921, population increased very much faster.
3. Low Productivity of Land:
In India, the fertility of land has been declining for more than one reason. The average production per hectare is about 90 per cent of what it was about half a century back. There is a decline of about 10 per cent.
This decline has been fast during the last 30 years ; and had taken place because of the coincidence of several factors, such as the substitution of heavy yielding crops and varieties without adequate compensation through artificial methods of restoring fertility; increasing deficiency of humus in the soil; inadequate drainage facilities; extension of agriculture on marginal and sub-marginal lands which generally yield less and bring about a decline in the average productivity; disturbance in the practice of following and crop rotations because of the increasing demand for food and other agricultural products soil erosion and increasing salinity, aridity, alkalinity and semi-desert conditions developing in areas which were agriculturally better so far.
The result of these factors is that the average yields of cereals in India are among the lowest in the world, being about 1,877 Kg. per hectare for milled rice 1,338 Kg. for wheat and 885 Kg. per hectare for all cereals including paddy (1975-76).
However, in individual crops, in some cases there has been noticed an increase in the field per hectare for some years past.
4. Rising Agricultural Prices:
The soaring prices of agricultural products in general and those of foodgrains in particular have badly affected the supply of these articles. These must be weighed against the enormous growth in population during these years. With the rise in prices, the producer’s need for cash to meet necessary commitments could be fulfilled with lower sales. Besides, a tendency for holding foodgrains for a longer period than usual develops in anticipation of further rise in prices. This situation creates an artificial scarcity of the foodgrains in the country.
The basic causes for rise in foodgrains prices are the increased purchasing power in the hands of the people due to increased investment outlay of the Plans, shortfall in the production of major crops, inadequate stocks with the Government and extensive hoarding and speculation by the producers and the wholesalers in the quasi-free market mechanism.
5. Physical Cause:
Indian agriculture is a gamble in rains. Variations in rainfall in different parts of the country are more marked and frequent. Besides the seasonal and local uneven distribution the variation from year to year is very great. Moreover, for last few years the monsoon has been very abnormal over vast areas and there have been severe droughts.
The result is that water is not available as and when required for most of the crops during greater part of the year and over by far a larger area; and there is a great deal of insecurity of harvest. On the other hand, in Northern and Eastern parts large areas are subject to heavy floods, and hailstorms which damage crops.
There has been a wide fluctuation in the production of foodgrains due to favourable weather conditions.
Measures for Solving Food Problem:
“Solving the food problem involves a stupendous task. It is immense in terms of vast operational areas, a huge population, treatment of a chronic state of long duration and frequent occurrences of famines and floods and other climatic hazards. It is immense in terms of absolute magnitude of physical targets in terms of human efforts both scientific and technological and in terms of financial requirements. During the last 125 years two very strong measures were adopted by the Government to overcome the seriousness of the food problem. These were- the development of railways and roads so that the surplus foodgrains could easily be and quickly transported to deficit areas- and the irrigation system so that more land could be made to yield agricultural production. Both these measures were successful in holding in check the situation but only for a few decades each time.”
For the last quarter of the century the situation has assumed serious proportion and gone out of control. As such, it requires much stronger measures to cope with.
Measures for Increasing Food Supply:
There are three principal ways in which the food supply can be increased, viz.:
(i) By Reducing the Losses:
There are possibilities of substantial saving in the losses in the field and in storage in warehouses and home through the wide-spread use of insecticides and improved storage and processing methods and scientific preparation of food.
(ii) By Extending the Area under Plough:
Of the total geographical area of 328.05 m. hectares or somewhat over 40 per cent is cultivated. In addition, the fallow lands and culturable wastes total 35.34 m. hectares making an aggregate of about 98.9 m. hectares of potential agricultural land, 4 per cent of the total area is under grass and 15 per cent under forests. Most of the fallow lands are located in areas of low rainfall or hilly topography, in which a certain portion of agricultural land has to be kept fallow.
Possibilities of expanding cultivation in the culturable wastes are also limited because large areas among these can be reclaimed only at very high costs and with heavy equipment and enterprise. A recent estimate made by the Wasteland Survey and Reclamation Committee had disclosed that only 0.8 m. hectares of wastelands located in blocks of 100 hectares or more can be brought under cultivation in nine different states. This figure will certainly increase considerably when areas located in blocks of less than 100 hectares are added.
This will entail heavy capital expenditure. Besides, it will be necessary to provide an efficient administrative organisation for technical services and an appropriate institutional set-up in order to ensure a sustained functioning of productive enterprise in the areas so brought under cultivation.
Large blocks of wastelands can, however, be brought under use through a suitable agency by the Government. This would ensure “direct control over production so that the farmer’s willingness to sell does not affect the Government stock policies.” This measure would facilitate production of foodgrains by modern techniques of production on these farms and they would, besides, generating the marketable surplus, serve as model farms with a considerable demonstration value.
Some idea of their contribution to output can be had from the fact that given a proper development of these lands, output per acre can be raised to 4,000-5,000 kgs. At this rate, about 4 to 5 m. tonnes of foodgrains can be produced.
As regards, blocks of wastelands in smaller sizes, if it is assumed that one quarter of available wastelands are in sizes of acres and above, something like 20 m. acres could be brought under plough. The additional increase in foodgrains could be of the order of 3 to 4 m. tonnes, if one-fourth of the total wasteland is cultivated. Such small pieces of land may be identified and given to individual farmers, especially landless labourers, for cultivation. Finance and other assistance also needs to be given to them.
Thus, the possibilities of bringing fresh land under cultivation are very limited, partly because of the limited area of culturable waste which can easily be brought under cultivation; and partly because the capacity of extension of cultivation in terms of the potential and the application of science and technology by farmers in fields and even the government is limited in specific time during which the population remains pressing hard continuously. Besides, the depletion of land resources under a heavy pressure of population is rendering the land resource position more and more precarious.
The limits of extension are almost reached over by far a major part of the country especially in the plains area including both the Indo-Gangetic and the coastal plains, which is agriculturally good area (the percentage of net-cultivated to cultivable land varies from 65 to 95). However, in the Central and North-Western regions (which are mainly the millet zones) and agriculturally less suitable, extension may be possible.
But because of various difficulties, lack of water supply and other factors, it is difficult and must involve time and considerable cost. And even if such areas could be put under cultivation, the increase in the cropped area could make only a limited contribution to increasing agricultural production and the main reliance for the latter has to be on intensification of agriculture and increasing yields on the existing cultivated lands.
(iii) Intensive Cultivation:
For sustained and increased productivity, it is necessary that all lands are used according to their land use capability i.e., the use for which they are best suited. Areas which are not suited for agriculture should be used for forestry and grazing, etc., while agricultural land should receive appropriate land improvement and conservation measures to raise their productivity.
As a result of regional specialisation in agricultural production the country has come to be divided into “Surplus” and “Deficit”, areas in respect of production of foodgrains. While some states like W. Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat are deficient in foodgrains but surplus in commercial crops like jute, cotton, oilseeds and groundnuts, others like Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, M.P., Orissa and Andhra Pradesh have considerable surplus in foodgrains.
There are enormous possibilities of increasing yield per hectare of foodgrains. The use of fertilizers, and improved seeds and provision of irrigation facilities are the most important factors which contribute directly to increases in yields. It may be noted that about 41 per cent of the increase in production during 1956-61 came from fertilizers, 27 per cent from irrigation and 13 per cent from improved seeds. These three sources accounted for 81 per cent of additional production during the period.
The need for greater use of fertilizers is brought out by about 1,70,000 soil tests. The tests indicated that almost all soils must have additional nitrogen, about 85 per cent additional phosphorus and 63 per cent additional potash, if crop yields are to be increased from the present low level by 50-100 per cent. It is this factor that limits production than any other single factor.
As brought out by Richardson, the average response of rice to fertilizers in India is about 590 lbs. of paddy per acre from an application where needed, 30 lbs. each of nitrogen and phosphate per acre. The average direct response from irrigated wheat fertilization is estimated at 430 lbs. per acre, about 45 per cent above under fertilized yield. These instances show that a much greater use of fertilisers offers the surest way to increase the yields of foodgrains in India.
Irrigation is another factor responsible for increasing production. All available water resources—surface and underground—needs to be exploited for irrigation, generation of power and domestic uses. In areas of deficient rainfall like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and M.P., where surface water resources are too meagre or non-existent, reliance should be placed on exploitation of groundwater for tube-well development. Secondly, a well-coordinated ‘water use plan’ should be drawn up for utilization of our potential.
There should be synchronization in the programmes for construction of head works, canals, distributors, water courses and field channels so that irrigation waters can be passed down to the cultivator’s fields about the same time they become available to the works. Thirdly, minor irrigation needs to be developed further.
The principle of supplemental irrigation to tide over the deficiency of the water supply of the irrigation system and to help in introducing double and multiple- cropping should be accepted. If the programmes of minor irrigation projects are carried out effectively, we may expect the proportion of irrigated area to gross area cropped to rise to more than 25 per cent.
Another important input which determines the levels of productivity in agriculture is the quality of seeds used. The strategy of increasing food production is based on the extension of high-yielding varieties responsive to heavy doses of fertilizers and the package of improved practices in selected areas. The high yielding varieties of paddy can give yields as high as 5,000-6,000 kgs. per hectare and that of wheat about 5,000 kgs. Similarly, hybrid varieties of maize, jowar and bajra have been found capable of giving very high yields under favourable conditions.
Other Measures to be Adopted:
1. Increasing Subsidiary Foods:
Fruit farming and vegetable growing has good prospects provided that communication, means of transport and marketing organisation are improved and facilities of cold storage, canning and bottling are developed. Productivity of land under fruits and vegetables can be doubled with intensive methods of horticulture.
The area now devoted to inferior cereals (like jowar, bajra, barley and cheaper millets) should be devoted to more nutritive cereals like rice and wheat and pulses to provide adequate proteins in diet. An increased production of root-vegetables (potatoes, radishes, beetroots, onions and parsnips) many of which are not only rich in carbohydrates but also in alkali, Vitamin C, and iron, etc., should be pushed up. Similarly, land may be made to yield more starch in the form of potato or sweet-potato, which may cut down the production of rice in India. To remove vegetable protein deficiency in the diet, a wide variety of pulses and beans and soya should be grown, as they are rich in Vitamin B.
i. Eggs:
Eggs provide good protein, vitamins, calcium, phosphate and iron. Their total production as well as efficiency of production can be increased greatly by good feeding and management and proper disease control. Further, the establishment of processing plants for fallen animals can, by providing animal protein feeds, do much to further poultry production.
ii. Meat:
Meat is the most costly source of animal protein. Quite a large proportion of Indian population prefers to take meat provided it is cheap. Therefore, production of pigs and poultry meat should be encouraged. Pigs are quick producers of meat. They also fit into the pattern of intensive farming. Their high fertility, ability, to raise large litters, high growth rate, high conversion efficiency of feed into animal proteins and above all, the fact that they do not present particular difficulties in acclimatizing, justify measures to increase their production.
iii. Milk:
Milk is very rich in vitamins, calcium and phosphorous, protein, etc. Its consumption and production should be speeded up. Immense possibilities exist for increasing the productivity of the cattle. Pepperal (1946) and Key (1946) have observed that an immediate increase of 50 per cent can be obtained by proper feeding of village cattle and then an increase much beyond 50 per cent could take place by proper breeding.
For better feeding green manures are particularly effective in increasing the initial yields while concentrates are effective in securing higher increases. In this connection it is also necessary that useless, unproductive and old cattle should be slaughtered so that the species of the cattle does not deteriorate.
iv. Fish:
Fish is a protective food rich in proteins, vitamins and organic elements. Its consumption needs be improved. The Indian Ocean expedition has estimated that only 8% of the fish available along the coast of India is being caught at present. In other words, the supplies of sea fish could be increased 20 times if this source is exploited fully, in the way in which it is exploited by the people of Norway, Japan, Canada and Western European countries.
The supplies could be increased even more by adopting presently known methods of fish culture. The dams and reservoirs in our river valley projects offer another source of fresh water fisheries of great magnitude. What can be done in this direction is demonstrated by the experience on the Tungabhadra Dam, where supplies of fish (for fish culture) have increased within a few years- from 700 pounds to 3,00,000 pounds.
Some of the slower moving rivers offer good possibilities of culture of algae which are rich in protein food. Utilization of these vast resources of sea and rivers will increase food supplies and raise nutritional standard of large segments of our population, besides reducing the pressure of demand for cereals.
Protein can also be available from a large number of leaves, single-cell micro-organisms grown on substrate such as petroleum and algae. Besides, groundnuts, cottonseed, soyabean, sesamum etc., are rich in proteins. Their consumption is to be increased.
2. Change in Food Habits:
At present an average Indian consumes more of cereals and less of other protective food. Efforts should, therefore, be made to reduce the intake of cereals by substitution thereof by green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits like tomato, mangoes, papaya, carrots, oranges, etc., which are an important source of protein.
The diet in the wheat zones should be enriched with fruits and leafy vegetables; while the diet of the people in the rice zones should be supplemented with wheat, milk, pulses, fish and eggs. The same should apply to tapioca and millet eating areas.
Special attention should be paid to the hard-working sections of the population — especially the working classes, peasantry, whose calorie requirements should be determined and who should be given sufficient protein and calories in the diet. Infants, growing children, expectant and nursing mothers’ diet also needs great change with the addition of milk, egg, fruits, etc.
Under-milled rice is of great nutritive value than highly milled rice in respect of vitamin B and other factors including protein and- mineral salts, and therefore, rice diet should preferably be supplemented by whole wheat or millet.
3. Production Incentives:
In order to exploit fully the technological possibilities of increasing agricultural production the producers must have the necessary capacity and willingness. Apart from supplying to them technical guidance and financial assistance, the farmers must be assured of economic returns for their labour and initiative.
This incentive can be given through rising prices. To be completely satisfactory, therefore, food prices have to be low enough to reduce the pressure on cost of living and on wage demands, high enough to maintain output and incomes in agricultural sector, not so high as to induce the producers to reduce the share of the output offered in the market and finally, stable enough to induce distributing changes in the trader’s inventories.
4. Reduction in Fertilely:
At present roughly seven children are born to married couples during the entire reproductive span, out of which five survive. Efforts should be made to have not more than three surviving children per married couple. This will not solve our problems but will go a long way to alleviate the pressure of population. May be in course of time, we can strive for a two-child family.
Reduction infertility can be brought about only when families are planned and when females bear children not by chance but by choice. This can be achieved either through the use of contraceptives or through sterilization. Of these two, the latter should be preferred, for it is 40 per cent less costly and the benefit is that fertility could be resorted to by a simple operation.
Further, one who does not like this may take to contraception. It has been found out, through surveys, that 60 to 70 per cent of the population is in favour of family planning, no matter what the method adopted is, Religion does not come in their way. The Government should not lay and undue emphasis on anyone of the methods (it should be entirely an individual choice and should be left to them) but it should largely depend on publicity, propaganda and education in order to motivate people to take to contraception.
Social traditions should change through sex-education among the people, by convincing arguments and effective communication of the fact that children are not the act of God over which humanity has no control but they are their own creation on whom a conscious check could be put.
The implementation of these suggestions involves long-range efforts covering the whole field of agricultural and economic development and social conditions. It pre-supposes an increase in the purchasing power of the people, an all-round development in the standard of living, a change in food habits and our social traditions, limitations of unbridled growth in population and an all-our drive to increase production of protective foods.
Two facts deserve special consideration. First, agriculture should be reorganised on scientific lines, and second, a curb should be put on the rapidly increasing population. Both these measures should go hand in hand.
We would do well to quote David E. Lilienthal (the former chairman of T.V.A. and renowned expert on farm development). He gave his views (Oct. 1971) about world survey on agriculture which deserve careful consideration. He listed seven points which developing nations should bear in mind in planning food production drives.
He said it was no use continuing to treat farmers to an early 20th century kind of extension services, or listening to experts who have learnt nothing new in 20 years, or who spent their lives writing endless surveys and reports steeped in sterile intellectualism and “ivory tower” economic theories.
His advice was:
Treat feeding people for what it is- a business-not a mystique, and not primarily and opportunity for social reform and uplift.
Producing food is a business. People who raise and process and distribute food are first and foremost just another kind of private businessmen. Give the farmer a chance for a profit and he will do most of the rest.
Don’t over plan. Give the producer, whether he is a farmer corporate farm manager, a chance to exercise spontaneity.
To really lick the food problem, farming must be done on a large scale. Bigness is as important an essential for food production as it is for mass production of other consumer goods.
The Government must believe that it is in the public interest that farmers and food producers should be allowed to make money and even to get rich, if they can. If they get too rich at the expense of others, tax them, but do not dry up the driving force by too many Government controls.
Food production must not be treated as a happy hunting ground to advance the professional prestige of scientists and economists. Food production is simply part of the business of getting food to people, changing that is, manufacturing what is grown into other forms, and making distribution as much as respected skill as developing new strains of wheat.
Measures Taken by the Government:
The Government has undertaken various measures for the last few years to meet the food shortage in the country.
The measures undertaken may be discussed under the heads: 1. Procurement 2. Support, Procurement and Issue Prices 3. Distribution and Rationing 4. Buffer Stock.
1. Procurement:
The Government procures a part of the domestic production to feed fair price shops and to build up its stock. Vigorous efforts are made to maximise procurement both in surplus and deficit states with the objective of meeting the requirements of the public distribution system.
Different States adopt different methods of procurement, generally, four methods are adopted:
(i) One is monopoly purchase-cum-procurement of paddy and rice adopted by the Assam, Maharashtra and Orissa Governments. Under this the Government alone procures foodgrains from the agriculturists. During 1973, the Central Government nationalised the wholesale trade in wheat and undertook procurement through F.C.I, departments of the State Government and Co-operative societies. But for administrative and political reasons this policy was given up in 1974. In Orissa, the system was replaced in 1974-75 by a levy on producers and millers including hullers.
(ii) Under the second method producers are under compulsion to sell to the Government a part of their produce. The levy increases with the increase in the amount of foodgrains produced by farmers. Procurement through levy on producers prevailed in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.
(iii) Under the third method, levy is imposed on millers and dealers in foodgrains ‘who are required to surrender a part of their stocks to the Government’. This system was adopted in states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Kerala, M.P., U.P., Punjab, W. Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.
(iv) Under the fourth method purchases are made by the Government in the open market as in Haryana and Punjab. At some pre-determined prices, the Government has the prior right to purchase foodgrains before anyone else can enter the market.
In regard to wheat, in the surplus states (Punjab, Haryana, M.P., Rajasthan and U.P.) a 50 per cent levy on purchases of wheat by licensed dealers in the regulated markets was imposed in 1974-75 rabi season. A levy on producers of wheat was introduced in Bihar in May 1974 and in Rajasthan in June 1974. In respect of course cereals, a levy on producers ranging from 25 per cent to 50 per cent of production was levied in almost all states. In Maharashtra, besides levy procurement was also made by open market purchase through co-operatives.
The amount of foodgrains procured varies from year to year, but there has been an increasing trend. The amount procured was as little as 0.04 million tonnes in 1956. It gradually increased. Procurement of rice and wheat was 41.5 million tonnes in 2005-06.
The table given below shows the Procurement of wheat and rice:
There have been some procurement of coarse grain also. Procurement of coarse grain was 11.5 lakh tonnes in 2005-06.
2. Support, Procurement and Issue Prices:
The minimum support prices are in the nature of a long term guarantee to the producers so that in the event of a glut in the market consequent on excessive increase in production of for any other reason, prices are not allowed to fall below the minimum economic level. These prices are generally announced before the starting of the season.
Minimum Support Prices are formulated each year by the Agricultural Prices, Commission (now Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices—CACP). Recommendations for minimum support prices are based on detailed study of costs of production and other relevant factors. The Commission recommends minimum support prices for different cereals, pulses, oilseeds and four non-food crops- cotton, jute, sugar and tobacco. Minimum support prices were raised considerably during the last two decades.
The procurement prices, usually higher than the minimum support prices, are the prices at which the government purchases foodgrains for maintaining the public distribution system and for building buffer stocks. Procurement prices announced by the Government are based on the minimum support prices recommended by the Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). During, the last decades procurement prices were raised quite substantially.
The table given below shows the minimum support price which is procurement price also for wheat and paddy etc.:
Wheat and rice are issued by the Central Government at Central Issue Prices to the States and Union Territories for distribution under P.D.S. Presently the policy is to fix issue price for supply to family below poverty line at 50 per cent of FCI’s economic cost and for families living above poverty line at 100 per cent of FCI’s economic cost. The periodical revisions are made in Central issue prices.
The economic cost of foodgrains constitute the acquisition cost and distribution cost. The acquisition cost constitute the costs incurred by FCI in procuring, paying state taxes, transporting, handling and storing of foodgrains. It is about 85 per cent of the economic cost of FCI for foodgrains.
The table given below shows the central issue price of wheat and paddy for families above poverty and below poverty line:
3. Distribution and Rationing:
Distribution of Foodgrains:
To meet deficit of foodgrains and the needs of the vulnerable sections of the population, several measures have been taken to ensure fair distribution of foodgrains. First, the country was divided into several zones with a view to making each zone as self-sufficient as possible, to ensure easy availability of foodgrains within each zone and to make up the shortfalls of deficit zones from surplus ones. For this purpose three steps were undertaken.
One was that each zone was constituted on the principle that it should contain some surplus areas and some deficit areas within the zone as also to reduce the cost of transport. Second, within the region, the movement of foodgrains was made almost free. This was done to eliminate the transportation of foodgrains over long distances in the country to meet the needs of the deficit areas to carry foodgrains of surplus areas.
Third, private traders were prohibited from moving foodgrains from zone to zone. The movement alone did it to keep a track of inter-zonal movement of foodgrains. This was to prevent any sort of hoarding or holding of foodgrains or the carriage of food grains to wrong places.
A well-targeted and properly functioning Public Distribution System (PDS) is an important constituent of the food strategy of the country. The PDS seeks to enhance food security particularly for economically weaker sections of the society. PDS is operated under the joint management of the Central and State Governments. Fair Price shops are established to handle the supply of foodgrains. The number of fair price shops increased from 47,000 in 1961 to 1.37 lakhs in 1967. The number of Fair Price shops increased to 4.24 lakhs in March, 1994. There are now 4.63 lakhs fair price shops to handle the public distribution.
Important foodgrains, sugar, edible oils and kerosene are distributed to the public through public distribution system. These items are distributed to the public through a network of Fair Price Shops (FPS) licensed by the state and union territories Governments. Each fair price shop is generally required to serve a population of 2,000. The quantity of foodgrains distributed also increased from about 40 lakh tonnes in 1960 to 141 lakh tonnes in 1966, and remained at a high level of 130 lakh tonnes and 110 lakh tonnes in 1967 and 1968 respectively.
The quantity of foodgrains distributed through Public Distribution system was 20.8 million tonnes in 1991. Though there is fluctuation in the quantity released for distribution through PDS, but it is clear that PDS has now emerged as an important aspect of the food strategy of the country. It has been estimated that 12.8 million tonnes of foodgrain was distributed through PDS in the year 2000.
Statutory Rationing:
Statutory rationing through a Public Distribution System is undertaken in case of severe shortages of foodgrains. If the supply situation is somewhat favourable informal rationing which amounts to, no rationing, is undertaken. Except in few places like Kolkata, and Asansol-Durgapur, group of industrial towns and Mumbai, where statutory rationing of rice alone is undertaken, in the rest of the areas a state of informal rationing prevails.
Under this, alongwith fair price shops, distribution through private traders exists. This system is intended to keep down demand under control. Frequently in the past the per capita ration was reduced in case of shortages and increased in case of an easy supply situation in respect of foodgrains. Many times, the government policy swing from complete control to complete decontrol of foodgrains, but for a long time the policy of informal rationing has prevailed.
During the 1975-76 rabi marketing season, the system of open market purchase by public agencies at the procurement price of Rs. 105 per quintal for all varieties of wheat was introduced and the 50 per cent levy on purchases by the licensed dealers in the surplus states imposed during 1974-75 season was withdrawn.
However, in order to maximise procurement, an incentive bonus scheme for supply of wheat to the central pool was introduced. For the 1976-77 rabi season the procurement price of wheat was maintained at Rs. 105 per quintal for all varieties of wheat and the incentive bonus scheme introduced during 1975-76 was continued. The issue price of wheat released from the central pool for public distribution was retained at Rs. 125 per quintal.
During 1977-78, rabi marketing season, the procurement, price of wheat of all varieties has been raised to Rs. 110 per quintal. The incentive bonus scheme on wheat has been discontinued. The issue price of wheat released from the Central Pool has been maintained at Rs. 125 per quintal. The zonal restriction on the movement of wheat and wheat products has been withdrawn and there is now free movement of these from one part of the country to another.
The population covered under statutory and informal rationing was about 160 and 369 million in 1972 as against 152 and 284 million at the end of 1971. In 1973, the population covered under statutory rationing was 171 million. In 1974, it was 178 million, and in 1977 it was 200 million. Statutory rationing has been in force in Kolkata and Asansol-Durgapur group in wheat and rice only. Informal rationing of foodgrains continued in other areas, including Mumbai city.
Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS):
Public Distribution System is an important programme for solving food problem and securing food security. The Public Distribution System as it was being implemented earlier has been criticised for its urban bias and its failure to serve the poorer sections of the society. A need was felt for a long period to review the Public Distribution System and to make it more effective and socially useful. In order to make the PDS more responsive to the needs of the poor, the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) was launched in June, 1997.
TPDS attempts to target families below the poverty line at heavily subsidised rates. The quantity of foodgrains earmarked to meet BPL requirement is 18.52 million tonnes per annum. In accordance with the provisions of TPDS guidelines 25 KG per family per month is to be given. It has been estimated that 65.2 million poor families are being benefited per annum with TPDS. The State Governments are required to streamline the TPDS by issuing special cards to Below Poverty line families.
4. Buffer Stock:
With a view to improving food security and stability to the country Government of India builds a buffer stock of the foodgrains particularly of wheat and rice. The importance of building of foodgrains, normally rice and wheat, is to provide food security to the country. It is a reserve stock which can be drawn upon at the time of crop failure. If the actual stock fall below the buffer stock norms, steps are taken to augment the stock through imports or through higher price incentive for procurement.
Government has been fairly successful in achieving self-sufficiency in basic stable food—rice, wheat and sugar. During the least two years unusually high procurement of rice and wheat by Food Corporation of India has resulted in huge surplus stocks much above the buffer stock norms. Foodgrain stock was 58.0 million tonnes in January, 2002. After experiencing food shortage during the three decades of 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, there was apprehension that Malthusian thinkers may ultimately be proved right.
But performance of India’s agricultural sector has negated the apprehension. Now rice and wheat are the two foodgrains whose production growth determines India’s capacity to feed itself. Per capita production of rice and wheat has also increased.
The table given below shows the central foodgrain stock and minimum buffer stock norm:
Provision of Storage Facilities:
Storage facilities are provided to the farmers and traders by Central and State Warehousing Corporation in addition to the Government’s own storage programmes. The storage facility owned by Government and Food Corporation of India has been increasing appreciably. It was of the order of 231.6 thousand tonnes in 1955-56; 696.0 thousand tonnes in 1960-61; 1953.2 thousand tonnes in 1965-66; 3451.5 thousand tonnes in 1970-71. In 1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74 and 1974-75, it was of the order of 4044.6 : 4759.2 : 5146.8 and 5308.0 thousand tonnes respectively.
Movement Restriction on Foodgrains:
With the object of promoting regional self-sufficiency or conserving the supplies for local consumption and reducing cross movement, and to check undue rise in prices in surplus areas and thereby help the procurement effort, restrictions or the movement of rice/paddy has been in force. The single-state wheat zones continued, in April 1973. However, in accordance with the modified wheat policy for 1974-75 rabi season the Governments of surplus states of Punjab, Haryana, U.P., M.P. and Rajasthan were given favour to issue permits to private traders for the export of levy-free wheat. All restrictions on the movement of coarse cereals were lifted from 7th March 1974.
Other Measures:
Increasing use is being made of co-operative societies and consumer co-operative and stores are being established in addition to shops in industrial establishments employing more than 400 workers.
Retail prices of foodgrains have also been regulated by State Governments in certain areas.
A programme for intensification of rice production in 40 selected districts on ‘package’ basis has been initiated. A dry farming programme for increasing production of millets and pulses has also been undertaken. The ‘package’ approach has also been extended to cotton, oilseeds and other commercial crops. Programmes have also been drawn up for the intensive development of milk, egg, meat and short-term crops.
The principal technical programmes for increasing agricultural production that have been undertaken are- minor irrigation; soil conservation; dry farming and land reclamation; supply of manures and fertilizers; seed multiplication and distribution; plant protection; and adoption of scientific agricultural practices.