The Hindu Business Line : Pawar urges States to step up farm output

Kolkata, Jan 11 The country runs the risk of becoming a net importer of foodgrains if the States do not take steps to increase production and productivity of foodgrains, cereals, oilseeds and pulses, said Mr Sharad Pawar, Union Minister for Agriculture and Food. This would also be in the interest of the country’s food security in the long term, he added.

Further, the growth in the agriculture sector, which has been over four cent for the last two years, had to be maintained if the country were to sustain its GDP growth rate of nine per cent, Mr Pawar said, addressing the India International Potato Expo 2008 here on Friday.

Mr Pawar said the day-to-day food habits of the people were changing and there was a mismatch between the demand and supply of foodgrains. The government’s employment guarantee scheme had helped increase the purchasing power of people living in the rural areas. This, in turn, had resulted in an increase in the demand for food products in the rural areas as well.

Mr Pawar said rice-exporting countries such as Vietnam and Thailand were considering the imposition of a ban on rice exports and this could well result in a shortage of its availability on a global scale.

He said last year, the country recorded its highest-ever production of sugar, cotton, wheat and soyabean. “Last year, the country produced 74.5 million tonnes of wheat. Yet, every day I receive requests from Chief Ministers for supply of more wheat to their States,” he said, adding that the present food situation in the country was comfortable.

With regard to potato, Mr Pawar said India was the third-largest potato producer in the world having an output of 29 million tonnes that is produced from 1.5 million hectares of land.