Bangalore: President Finds Inappropriate Storage of Food Stocks "Intolerable”

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 6: President Pratibha Patil frowned on ``inappropriate storage” of country’s foodgrain stocks and termed the entire system as “intolerable.”   “In a country where food security is yet to be achieved, a situation where food stocks are inappropriately stored is in intolerable,” Ms Patil said in her address to the 45th annual convocation of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore on Saturday.

The Uiversities can and should help by actively evolving new scientific methods of warehousing and food processing technologies, she said pointing out that decentralised warehousing would make distribution not only easier and quicker but also provide the low cost option reducing wastage in transportation.

“There are new user friendly technologies available now for building silos in a short time at low cost. Food distribution systems need to be strengthened, so that food supplies reach the people in a smooth manner, as and when they need it,” she said.  The President felt introduction of drip and sprinkle irrigation can be effective tools for economical use of water and the farm sector needs lot of support.

“Though, we are self-reliant in cereal production, we have still to depend on the import of pulses and edible oils. We are also confronted with malnutrition and under-nutrition. Ensuring food security and elimination of hunger is a national responsibility.  There is a need of a Second Green Revolution to ensure food security,” she said.  Apart from strengthening existing institutional support and bridge existing gaps in support systems, Patil said dryland farming was a source for 45 per cent of total food production in the country. “Dryland areas can be the cradle for a second Green Revolution,” the president said.

She suggested that the farmers should organise themselves into Agri-Business Chambers of Industry and Commerce for common cause and enhance their bargaining power.

To increase productivity in rainfed areas, farmers and the industrial sector have to look up to the governments for initiatives for availability of credit, tax holidays and other economic incentives and a more open marketing system through amendments to the APMC Act were other suggestions made by the President.

Adoption of an integrated approach and use technology as an effective tool in a wide array of farming would address several problems, she said pointing out that public-private-participation in extension need to be evolved. Students should take up agriculture as a profession.

Underscoring the relevance of the Bhoo-Chetana programme, which effectively transferred knowledge from ‘the lab to the land’ for the benefit of the farmers in Karnataka, she said a strictly sectoral approach to agriculture would not be sufficient. It needs greater integration with other sectors of the economy.

“As a part of the curriculum, the universities should encourage their students to prepare business models for a group of farmers, to tap resources from different sectors, whether it is the government, financial institutions, R and D units or industrial sector” the President said.

Institutions linked to making available inputs such as credit, seeds, fertilizers  and pesticides must be re-energized to deliver desired outcomes. A system to monitor weather parameters and making available forecasts to the farmers, by using modern communication tools, would benefit farmers in their decision making, she said.