Sharad Pawar expresses 'helplessness' on high food inflation

Expressing his "helplessness" on high food inflation, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar today said the farmers must get right value for their produce so that they are encouraged to increase production of essential farm commodities to rein in price rise. He, however, said that it was states' responsibility to ensure proper distribution of food grains to the people through ration shops while the Centre is responsible for production, procurement and moving the produce to godowns.

Speaking on high inflation mainly due to soaring vegetables prices, Pawar said, on the one hand he has to answer for escalating vegetable prices and on the other hand farmers are complaining of not getting adequate price. "On the issue of high inflation, I am cornered by fellow parliamentarians and media in Delhi who ask when the prices of vegetables will fall... on the other hand when I go to villages farmers complain that they are not getting adequate price for their produce. "I get beating from both sides. Urban population is unhappy over rising prices while farmers in the villages complain for not getting adequate price," he said and posed question "you tell me what shall I do?" Pawar was speaking at a function in Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR), Kanpur.

The minister noted that if farmers would not get proper price than how their families will survive. "Priority of our government is that the farmers shall get adequate price for their produce. For this the government is making efforts like providing cheaper farm loans," he said. Pointing out that land is getting scare and population is increasing fast, Pawar urged farm scientists to come up with new variety of seeds and technology which will help farmers grow more on lesser area of land.

The Union agriculture minister said it's priority of the government to ensure increase in production, procure them at adequate price and than move it to godowns. From there it goes to state governments which ferry them to ration shops. "It's duty of the state governments to ensure that foodgrains reach beneficiaries in a proper manner," he added. Pawar paid a visit to IIPR to discuss latest research works and interact with pulses' farmers.

On government measures in the field of agriculture, he said earlier the Union government was providing Rs80,000 crore as farm loans at a relatively higher interest rate, but now it has raised the loan amount to Rs3.70 lakh crore on which only 4% interest rate is charged. Ten years back the government used to provide subsidy amount of Rs20,000 crore which now has increased to Rs80,000 crore, the minister said. The minister noted that while the country has adequate production of foodgrains like sugar, wheat and rice, but expressed concern over fall in domestic production of pulses and edible oil due which the country has to import them.

"India is producing 14 million tonnes of pulses while the consumption of the commodity is 18 million tonnes. The shortage of four million tonnes is met through imports," he said. Likewise, due to shortage of production of edible oil the country has to go for its import, he added. Pawar is paying a visit to all the agricultural research institutes of the country to boost farm production.