Crores spent on games and airports,why not on grain silos: Dr Swaminathan

Punjab Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor MS Kang,who accompanied Swaminathan to the grain markets and storage areas of the state during the last two days,said the damage may be to the tune of 15 to 20 per cent in the state. “The damaged grain is auctioned as cattle feed. But some of it may not even be fit for cattle,” Kang said.

Dr Swaminathan said though the wheat harvest has been delayed by weather and rain in Punjab and Haryana,in two weeks a bumper wheat crop will arrive in state mandis. “The wheat bowl of the country – Punjab,Haryana,western UP and Madhya Pradesh – will see another 25 to 26 million tonnes of wheat procurement when previous year’s wheat is still lying. How do we deal with it? We have to save the hardwork of farmers in a country where a large population suffers from malnutrition. There will have to be both short-term and long term measures. As short-term arrangement,rail wagons can directly take foodgrains to the consuming states and CAP storage can continue for some quanitity. But the Food Security Act would require long-term measures such as silos,” Dr Swaminathan said.

And for this,the Rajya Sabha member has suggested a national grid for grain storage comprising rural godowns,small and large silos. “Silos with one million tonne storage capacity will require investment of Rs 600 crore. Punjab is an anchor for the public distribution system (PDS). It needs capacity of 10 million tonnes,which amounts to Rs 6,000 crore investment. If such huge amount can be spent on Commonwealth Games and Terminal III at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi,I cannot accept that it cannot be spent on saving foodgrains,” he added.

On the Supreme Court direction that foodgrains be distributed free of cost to the poor or proposal of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that they be exported,he said,“There is no harm in exporting if we are ensuring adequate food security at home. But distributing or exporting should all form a part of an integrated policy on food security. We should not lose any more time to develop a system. Food prices are volatile and with 1.2 billion population,we cannot take risk on food security,” he said.

For Punjab,he said the challenges are on two counts. “In addition to food storage crisis,the state needs diversification as its water table is fast depleting and salinity is going up. Prime Minister chairs eight national missions,one of which is sustainable agriculture. I recommend that a National Centre for Sustainable Agriculture should come up in Punjab as safeguarding the state’s agriculture is a national responsibility,” he added.

He said the diversification towards basmati in Punjab was a welcome change. “But in addition to Pusa 1121,there are other high-value,low-water requiring varities too which can be grown. The state can also opt for quality protein maize (QPM),which is in high demand for poultry and pulses as substitute to water-guzzling paddy. The country requires 20 million tonnes of pulses but produces only 17 million tonnes,” he added.

On the fate of his earlier recommendations,he said,sooner or later they are implemented. “We had suggested four per cent rate of interest on farm loans. Starting from seven per cent,it has now come down to four. Similarly,our recommendation of working out the minimum support price of foodgrains as per the formula of 50 per cent over cost of inputs,including labour will also be implemented,” he said.