It is not unknown to people that
food grains rot in the godowns or farms in India due to inadequate storage
facilities for food items. At a crucial time when Parliament wishes to pass the
food security bill which will benefit crores of Indians, a RTI reply has
reveled at least 17,546 tonnes of foodgrains was damaged between 2009-10 and
July 2012 in Food Corporation of India godowns.
Every year more than 25 lakh
people die in India due to hunger, so many people are malnourished in the
country but still there have been no measures to built infrastructure
facilities to safeguard food items. On 23rd August, the food processing
minister Sharad Pawar told the Parliament that inadequate storage
infrastructure resulted in wastage of fruits, grains and vegetables worth Rs
44,000 crore every year.
Food Corporation of India in a
RTI reply to a activist on details of damaged foodgrains in its godowns in 23
states and Union Territories. The data reveals that government has a tough task
at hand, though there is a decline year-wise in damage of foodgrains. During
the said period the maximum loss was of wheat at around 7,185 tonnes while rice
damaged was 6,905 tonnes. According to World Health Organization, minimum of
250 gm foodgrains is required per person per day to survive. The damaged food
grains could have fed at least seven crore people. Suggesting no loss of grains
the activist said government should provide 3 months grains at a time to each
family so that each family can store grains at home rather than storing them at
FCI godowns where they often get damaged.
Wastage in West Bengal was the
highest in the same period with a loss of around 2,300 tonnes of damaged rice.
However, Punjab have reduced the loss drastically from 2,223 tonnes in 2009-10
to only 37 tonnes during 2011-12. The opposition in the Parliament cornered the
government by pointing out that till June 12.5 million tonnes of foodgrains was
lying in the outside with another 6 million tonnes lying open in Haryana. In
Punjab, 2.5 million tonnes of this was lying in the fields. If the nation wants
to feed its people there has to be appropriate storage facilities. Countering
the reply of the food minister's reply that 6 million tonnes storage capacity
will be added this year, the opposition said that its illogical when 18.5
million tonnes of wheat was lying in the open in just two states.
Its shameful that so much grain is being wasted every year when the underprivileged keep dying due to hunger. Lack of infrastructure can't be an excuse of these parliamentarians. The planning is done keeping future in mind. 66 years and they could not make proper infrastructure. When they don't have infrastructure as of today, how can we expect that the facilities can store the extra production which be required keeping in mind the rising demand from the ever growing population of the country. All our parliamentarians can do is come up with new scams everyday/every hour, the most recent one being Leave Travel Concession Scam...
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate in the extreme that despite a whopping approx. 30% of population living below poverty line, India ends up wasting tones of wheat, fruit and vegetable every year.
ReplyDeleteI think biggest region ....of malnutrition.
Government public ko khana to de ni rahi hi aur dosri tarf se Amir khan ko brand ambassador bana kar malnutrition per campaign challa rahi hi.
ab inko itna nahi samajh ata ki campaign chalane se malnutrition ni khatm hoga khana khane se khatam hoga.
We have to take strong step for food security.
This is a sad state of the country, But it doesn't mean that the government have not done enough. Its because of the policies that we have become an emerging nation interms of economy. If the food security bill is passed we will become the first nation to do so after the resolution passed in United Nations.
ReplyDeleteThe government wants to develop infrastructure through foreign investors by FDI in retail. But the problem is that in order safeguard the interests of rural people we might hurt their income. What is the quarantee that selling to foreign investors who will build infrastructure will increase the livelihood of the rural mass? Is the procuring price of the retail giants being set? How will the purchasing power parity increase in the rural areas? Wont the cost of goods increase with the initial heavy investment which is required?
ReplyDeleteThe World Bank estimates that India is one of the highest ranking countries in the world for the number of children suffering from malnutrition. The 2011 Global Hunger Index (GHI) Report ranked India 15th, amongst leading countries with hunger situation.
ReplyDeleteIt also places India amongst the three countries where the GHI between 1996 and 2011 went up from 22.9 to 23.7, while 78 out of the 81 developing countries studied, including Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Kenya, Nigeria, Myanmar, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Malawi, succeeded in improving hunger condition.
So in such a scenario wastage of foodgrain is criminal act, and appropriate measures should taken so that the wastage is reduced to null....
What we need is not a food security Bill but a hunger elimination Act...
ReplyDeleteWhile the world is much richer and food secure that it was 50 years ago, still food security is under threat.
ReplyDeleteThe most food secure countries are:
1. United States
2. Denmark
3. Norway
4. France
5. Netherlands
6. Austria
7. Switzerland
8. Canada
9. Finland
10. Germany
11. New Zealand
12. Belgium
13. Spain
14. Australia
15. Portugal
16. Japan
17. Sweden
18. Greece
19. Italy
20. United Kingdom
Don't know if the food security bill will make us top the rank or not...
While millions are struggling to put two meals on the table and thousands are starving in Africa and in some Indian states, there are people, primarily in the developed world, who continue to waste tonnes of food every day. Their conscience doesn't understand whats wrong and right.
ReplyDeleteFood wasted by Americans: 760 kilogrammes per person per year.
ReplyDeleteFood wasted by Australians: 690 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Danes: 660 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Swiss: 650 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Canadians: 640 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Norwegians: 620 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Dutch: 610 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Austrians: 560 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Britons: 560 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Irish: 560 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Belgians: 550 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Germans: 540 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by French: 510 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Italians: 500 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Finns: 460 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Swedes: 450 kilogrammes per person per year.
Food wasted by Japanese: 410 kilogrammes per person per year.
What it means is that the developed countries might be food secure but they don't have a habit of sharing rather wasting.
Despite India's 50% increase in GDP since 1991,more than one third of the world's malnourished children live in India. Among these, half of them under 3 are underweight and a third of wealthiest children are over-nutriented.
ReplyDeleteThe hungry have to be individually and geographically identified and/or located. Once that is done, it would not cost much to eliminate hunger through direct cash or food transfers, depending on whether there are or are not competitive food markets in the area where they live.
Developing countries made the greatest food security gains in the past year, with the biggest increases in Ethiopia, Botswana and the Dominican Republic.
ReplyDeleteGlobal Hunger Index India is on place 67 among the 80 nations having the worst hunger situation which is worse than nations such as North Korea or Sudan. 25% of all hungry people worldwide live in India.
ReplyDeleteThe average score for all countries in the latest index was 53.5, virtually unchanged from 53.6 in the 2012 model. No region’s score improved dramatically, but Sub-Saharan Africa showed the biggest gain, climbing by just under one point. Last year’s drought in some key growing regions reduced food security for a period of time as prices for grains rose, although that trend eased later in the year.
ReplyDeleteIn a country like India those who are poor are at risk for under-nutrition, while those who have high socio-economic status are relatively more likely to be over-nourished.......
ReplyDeleteMaybe someday food will be equally distributed and there will be no malnourishment in the world. Everyone will have a equal share no matter how much their income is.
Food security bill is not the option because there is a provision where direct currency has to be distributed among the beneficiaries in failure of grains supply. It will again give a room to corruption and scams. The need of time is creating infrastructure that could help in not wasting the grains every year and policies that could facilitate in equal distribution of these grains.......
ReplyDeleteLack of infrastructure can never be an excuse. Even after 66years of independence, the nation still is estimated to house a third of the world's poor. And yet eradicating poverty was one of the primary goals of independent India. Celebrating Independence has no meaning till we are independent in its truest sense, and with the kind of leaders and the mentality of people we have these days it seems like a "never-to-be-fulfilled" dream.
ReplyDeleteThe Food Security Bill appears to be another of the "Thought Experiments" of the leaders of our nation after the many schemes that keep coming up from time to time. The fact however remains that these very leaders ensure that the schemes actually never take effect and the public actually helps them by living with it. The poor thus continue to remain poor and the rich keep getting richer. The only result of this food security would be that the corrupt men would be insured against hunger forever while the country continues to shelter a third of the world's poor.
ReplyDeletesuch a worst condition, that how much food is wasting and the people of India is still dying just because of hunger and around 1.7 million children died every year just because of malnutrition.so we need to have proper distribution of food chain.
ReplyDeleteLike most poor policy decisions taken by the Indian government to date, this decision (Food Security Bill) is devoid of an objective cost-benefit analysis. At best, it is a populist measure designed to garner votes from the ‘Aam Aadmi’ (common man) in the upcoming elections. An inevitable downside of this scheme is its grave ramifications for the Indian economy, the costs ultimately to be borne by future generations. The alarm over the fiscal situation following the passage of the Rs 1.35-lakh crore Food Security Bill eclipsed everything and renewed doubts about the government’s resolve to control spending ahead of general elections due next year.
ReplyDeleteInfrastructure availability will lead to better grain storage and hence food security for poor people. Govt need to take proper initiatives now
ReplyDeleteWith the elections round the corner, the government needs to figure out a way to ensure that along with the food security bill, there should be proper storage facilities. Think about it, not only would it ensure "food security" for the masses, but it will provide positive pubicity for the government. Both sides win.
ReplyDeleteIndia is home to some of the huge government schemes and provisions but still after 60 years of independence we lag behind some of the poorest countries of Africa. An ever demographic needs huge investments for its citizens but it will always fail if the delivery mechanism is not sorted out. Knowing what will happen with the Bill in near future is not rocket science..."A food Scam" is my guess and more accumulation of blank money in Swiss bank which at present is around $ 1.4 Trillion.
ReplyDeleteThe data on poverty will remain the same on ground but we'll a huge reduction in government reports.
Our farmers growing to feed whole nation yet we are every year importing food grains, such scenario occuring because of lack on government's part in proper n timely management
ReplyDeleteOur Food grains like ragi and jowar that are staple food in rural parts (people are habituated to ancient diet instead of wheat and rice) especially in Karnataka are sold in US at Rs 600-900 per kg. We are ignoring these grains and concentrating more on wheat and rice when its not unknown how much nutritious these grains are. Procurement of these grains will be a problem due decline in domestic production and growing demand in the west.
Deletei strongly agree with this article
ReplyDeleteIts really sad. Its about time and we need a change.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAt least 17,546 tonnes of foodgrains was damaged between 2009-10 and July 2012 in Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns, an RTI reply has revealed at a time when Parliament looks poised to pass the food security bill.
ReplyDeleteAs per World Health Organization guidelines, a minimum of 250g foodgrain is required per person per day to survive. The cumulative loss could have fed at least seven crore people," Bhattacharya said. He added that the government should provide three months' worth of grain at a time to each family so that they can store at home rather than at FCI godowns where these get damaged.
ReplyDeleteThe details show that West Bengal reported higher percentage of damaged rice between 2009-10 and 2011-12 with a loss of around 2,300 tonnes. In Punjab, the loss reduced drastically from 2,223 tonnes in 2009-10 to only 37 tonnes during 2011-12 .
Poor from Rajasthan urge MPs to pass food bill
Agroup of around 40 poor women and men from the Sahariya and Gadasia communities in Rajasthan have been knocking at the doors of MPs, appealing them to end the logjam in Lok Sabha and have a fruitful discussion on the food security bill. Most of these elderly have Antyodaya cards and are entitled to free monthly rations of wheat, pulses and ghee. TNN.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete