By Sreekumar Raghavan
I was going through the elaborate analysis on food inflation by Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao on Thursday afternoon when the news of the slap on Union Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar came to my notice. Ofcourse, it had topical relevance to a commodity portal since the act was done by Mr Halvinder Singh in protest against the failure of the minister to control food inflation.
But as usual, it became a sensational news occupying front pages in all dailies and top item in TV channels but the real issues went un-discussed.
India is now self-sufficient in food grains compared to 1950 and early 60’s when we had to depend on imports from USA under the PL 480 programme. It was the launch of green revolution in 1965 and the use of High Yieding Varieties (HYV) of rice and wheat that paved the way for food sufficieny in India enabling us to export from early 1970’s. Or look at the massive white revolution India unleashed through the Amul Milk Co-operative in Gujarat.
So what is required is really action on the ground and not making a hero of someone who slaps on the Minister’s face.
Reserve Bank Governor’s analysis of food inflation which Commodity Online carried ,is an insightful analysis of the crisis and the crux of the issue is that supply side issues have to resolved before a meaningful solution can emerge to food inflation.
But when people like Harvinder Singh become heroes, the real issues go underground. However, political parties have been unanimous in condemning the attack on the Minister.
A former bureaucrat in Kerala, Palat Mohandas, who retired as Chief Information Commissioner last year to return to farming in his 70 acre land in Palakad, pointed out recently in a newspaper interview that the plight of farmers is indeed alarming. Nothing will happen to crop production or productivity even if the Agriculture Department is wound up, he said. Ofcourse, the problems faced by farmers may be different from region to region but it all sums up to one fact: the peasant feels neglected all the time.
One positive outcome that could emerge from foreign direct investment in multi-brand retailing could be that farmers may get a better deal as evidenced from some case studies done in North India.
Tail Piece: New uses for pepper
Pepper Spray which is already in vogue in US markets for a long time and used by women in self-defence against attacks by men in public places will soon make its foray in Kerala soil too. Alarmed over a series of attacks against women recently, the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation is planning to train women in the use of such self defensive devices. Pepper Spray can work upto a distance of 6 feet and is twenty times more powerful than chilli powder. It can incapactitate the assailant for 30-45 minutes, according to manufacturers. Kerala women may soon realise what is good in the kitchen can also become useful out in the open.
(The author is Managing Editor of Commodity Online and may be contacted at sk@commodityonline.com)
