India is an agricultural country. About 1.4 billion people here have to depend on agriculture for two handfuls of food.
But it is agriculture and farmers that are perhaps the most neglected . The center has announced a fund of Rs 1 lakh crore for the development of agricultural infrastructure during the Corona crisis.
A promise to raise the minimum support price of the crop has also been heard from the centre.
Besides, the Modi government also withdrew the new agriculture law against farmers’ interests under the pressure of the strong movement.
But the real picture is that the farmers are forced to sell wheat to the private sector at a higher price one of the staple foods of the people, as they are not getting minimum support price on wheat.
As an inevitable consequence of this, the price of flour in the market is high.
On the other hand, agricultural land is being used for various commercial purposes including industry, increasing the concern.
The amount of agricultural land is decreasing. As a result, agricultural production is also suffering. As a result, less foodgrains are being stocked in government warehouses than required.
If this continues, there is a danger of food crisis. such a picture of concern has emerged in the agriculture sector.
The Center, however, has placed the onus on the states to increase non-agricultural use of arable land.
Based on the National Policy for Farmers, it has been suggested that industry should be done on non-cultivable land.
If agricultural land is taken, it should be minimal. But it appears that commercial use of arable land is increasing, which is a matter of concern.
Actually lump in the beginning. As per the National Policy for Farmers, no commercial activities should normally be carried out on agricultural land.
But it appears thousands of two or three crop cultivable lands are being handed over to private hands, similar to those given by state-owned organizations to private hands.
Neither the Center nor the various states can escape the responsibility.
In 2014, when Manmohan Singh’s government left, the amount of cultivated land in the country was 18 crore 18 lakh 29 thousand hectares.
In the eight years of BJP tenure, it has decreased to 18 crore 8 lakh 88 thousand hectares.
That is, 9 lakh 41 thousand hectares of cultivable land has decreased. However, 70 percent of the country’s farming families live by growing crops on agricultural land.
And huge people of the country depend on this crop. As a general rule, if the amount of land decreases, the crop production will decrease.
There should be tension in the warehouse. However, the Union Ministry has given different assurances. The Ministry of Food and Public Distribution said there is no cause for concern.
Sufficient food grains are stored. There is no reason to worry.
Meanwhile data of Food Ministry has admitted that wheat stock in central store has decreased.
Where 205 lakh metric tons are supposed to be. There are 180 lakh metric tons. What does it indicate?
Still, the fear of food crisis is unreasonable? In this wheat again the farmer is being given a support price of Rs. 2015 per quintal.
But farmers are getting higher prices by selling to private companies. Central government is responsible for this situation.
So where the market price of flour should be Rs 32 per kg, it is being sold in the market at Rs 36. 75 paisa.
Rice which should be priced at Rs 32 per kg in the retail market is being sold at around Rs 38. People have no solution.
On the other hand, keeping the whole matter under wraps, the center issued a circular last week saying, 159 lakh tons of wheat and 104 lakh tons of rice will be stored in the warehouse on January 1 next year according to the emergency government stocking rules. Which is more than the specified stock quantity.
For good reason, the question is raised, if there is such excess food grains in stock, why the number of hungry people in the country is more than 22 crore?
Why are more than 22 crore Indians suffering from malnutrition (according to UN report) due to lack of food?
Why countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh have left behind India in the list of hunger index!
India ranks 107th out of 123 countries in the world’s hunger index though government denied it.
