India has exported about 8 million tonnes of rice in the last one year, helping in reducing the global prices of the grain to affordable levels, the Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar said today.

Pawar expressed concerns over rising trends in global food prices. According to an official release, Pawar said the spike in prices in rapid succession badly hits developing countries where a large number of poor live.

Referring to the initiative called ‘SAARC Food Bank’ to service the needs of member countries, Pawar said there is a need to strengthen such regional cooperation to respond to the developing global food crisis.

“It is our collective responsibility to reach out to those vulnerable populations whose access to food is compromised due to high food prices,” he said at the conference here organised by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to discuss steps to tackle high food prices in Asia Pacific.

Outlining the contribution made by India to improve global supply, Pawar said: “In the past 12 months, due to record production over the years, we have already exported about 8 million tonnes of rice. The exports from India have not only stabilised global supplies but have helped in easing the ruling high prices to affordable levels.”

In case of wheat, he said the country has become an exporter after importing huge quantities in 2006-07.

India lifted the ban on non-basmati rice and wheat exports in September 2011 in view of bumper crop.

“Despite an anticipated increased demand and having to maintain reserve stocks for tiding over intermittent bad crop years, since last year the country has not resorted to export ban on food grains — rice, wheat or maize,” he noted.

Talking about high food prices in India and South Asian region, Pawar said that much of price rise seen in this region is on account of price inflation of non cereal items where other macro economic factors have role to play.

The minister suggested that sustained efforts to improve technology, increase farm investments, reforms in marketing and related policies would enable to achieve higher crop yields resulting in adequate food supply at steady prices.

Pawar emphasised that individual country-led plan towards increasing farm output is the right strategy to reduce dependence on imports of food products and keep the prices of food commodities in check.

He also stressed on more transparency in commodity markets and global trade to instil confidence for adequate supplies at reasonable price during periods of crisis.

India produced a record 257.44 million tonnes of food grains in the 2011-12 crop-year (July-June).

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