[Dec 2007, Volume 4 Quarterly Issue] Pdf File size - The IIPM Think ...

MORE MARKETS, LESS GOVERNMENT
Per-capita Per Day Availability Of Foodgrains
In India Since 1971
Period Cereals Pulses Food Grains
1971-1975 393 44 437
1981-1985 417 39 456
1991-1995 445 37 482
2001-2005 414 32 446
Projected Growth Rate And Demand For
Various Food Commodities Towards 2011-12
Food Item
Projected
Growth
Rate (%)
tons of cereals production and 17 million
tons of pulses production by the end of
2050. Achieving this level of production is
not a big task as India currently produces
around 210 million tons of food grains.
But, it needs a serious planning and
effective implementation.
3.3 Adequate per capita availability of
food is a function of food production on
one hand, and growth in population and
purchasing power, on the other. Nature of
food security varies across population categories
and geography. Food production
is the result of interaction of human being’s
crop production technique and management
of the natural resources such as
Demand:
Million
Tonnes
Food grains 2.21 251.7
Milk and milk products 3.18 100.39
Meat 4.65 5.36
Eggs: Billion 4.62 35.77
Fish 4.58 5.91
Oilseeds 2.94 49.2#
Vegetables 2.51 92.93
Fresh Fruits 3.46 29.43
Sugar and gur 1.88 22.49
# Assume 40% dependence on import for edible oil
Source: NACP–ICAR In House Estimates
Note: Projected demand includes export in the same ratio as n the base scenario
2003-04 for foodgrains and in 2004-05 for others.
land, water, weather and climatic
condition. The guiding
principle should be optimal
utilization of scarce
resources. Thus it is important
to know the natural
Resources, understand the
level of technology utilization,
and understand effect
of modern production technology
on the natural resources,
limitation of total
efforts towards production
increase and understanding
of the scope of overall utilization
of scientific knowledge
in our present agriculture.
It is also important
that natural resources
should continue to be available
without deterioration
over a long period of time.
3.4 The natural resources,
which we have, are limited
especially land and
water. Fertility of land is
declining. Soil health has
been declining because of excessive usage
of fertilizer and pesticide. Organic contents
and microenvironment of the soil has
undergone noticeable changes impacting
productivity. There is change in weather
pattern and climatic condition. Frequency
of erratic rain, floods and droughts has
increased considerably.
3.5 Level of technology utilization in
Indian agriculture is highly uneven and
biased to certain pockets of the county.
Green revolution helped India to transform
itself from food deficit to food surplus
country. But unfortunately, green
Revolution has not percolated across all
the states. Application of modern production
techniques is still limited to some
pockets, like the states of Punjab and
Haryana. High variation in production
and productivity in different states is the
result of varying level of technology integration
in our agriculture production.
3.6 The long term sustainability of
agriculture and consistent growth in production
and productivity matching with
population growth is a big question mark.
It has been noticed that in various parts of
Punjab and Haryana, water level has gone
down to such levels that water extraction
has become economically unviable. Nitrogen
contents of water has increased, there
is presence of pesticides residue in drinking
water. Heavy and unscientific method
of fertilizer application has taken a toll on
the soil quality. There is adverse impact on
the local microclimate because of intensive
agriculture and similar crop cycle over
a long period of time. Higher contents of
fertilizer and pesticides in ground water
not only affect productivity, but it also severely
affects the food quality. Situation
Food production is the result of interaction of human being’s
crop production technique and management of the
natural resources. The guiding principle must be
optimal utilization of scarce resources
demands to take corrective as well as preventive
actions to maintain agriculture
growth sustainable in the long run.
3.7 In India average per capita land
holding is less than 0.16 hectare. Average
farm holding with farmers is 1.6 acre. Now
THE INDIA ECONOMY REVIEW
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