Agri output far short of demand: Pawar

Indian agricultural output is far less than its domestic requirements because of the changing habits of the people and the increased purchasing power, says Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar.

Pawar was in Gujarat to participate in the National Seminar on Nutrition and Fortification held in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Pawar later visited Palanpur to inaugurate the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation's (GCMMF) Banas Dairy's recently-developed expansion facility.

Addressing a public rally at Palanpur, Pawar said, "India is number one globally in milk production, India produces half or one-third of the world's production of wheat and rice, the country also produces half of the world's sugar. Despite such high production levels, the country needs to import all these commodities because our demand is increasing day-by-day and the agriculture production is no match for that."

Giving the reason, Pawar said, "The reason is that our food habits have changed, people's economic situation has changed, their purchasing power has increased. I remember when we were children we used to eat bajra and jowar as we could not afford wheat and rice. Wheat and rice were occasionally consumed. But now people can afford them and we see that no one eats bajra or jowar now. Their food habits have changed and so also has the demand increased. If we want to match the demand we will have to increase the agriculture production as well. We cannot be dependent on imports forever."

About milk production he said the country produces 1,000 tonnes of milk per annum, but that is not enough as our demand is much more than that. That is the reason for the milk prices of milk increasing.

Pawar also congratulated the GCMMF and farmer members of all the co-operatives who have successfully managed to make their name in the nation as well as abroad.

Inaugurating the Banas Dairy's expanded processing facility, he said, "I am proud to have inaugurated the dairy's expanded wing. This is the success of the model co-operative movement created by Varghese Kurien and Amrita Patel. We have to not only sustain the growth in the milk production but we will have also have to tray and produce enough milk so that the country can export its milk products after the domestic requirement is fulfilled. However, we will have to take care that the farmers get their due share of the profit."

According to the chairman of the Banas Dairy and GCMMF, Parthi Bhatol after post expansion Banas Dairy is capable to process 10 lakh litres of milk which was earlier only 4 lakh litre per day.

The expansion was done at the cost of Rs 110 crore. Annually, the dairy will process 14,000 tonnes of milk and the excess of the milk received is being sent to Gandhinagar Dairy. Parthi added that Banas Dairy receives 16,000 tonnes of milk per annum.

Meanwhile, both Pawar and Modi also inaugurated the national seminar on 'Nutrition and Fortification' at Nirma University.

Emphasising the problem of food security and malnutrition, Pawar said, country's 75 per cent infants and 85 per cent adults including pregnant women suffer from anaemia.

"The immediate need is to address the problems of food security. To see a hunger-free nation, we will have to import food also. Presently, next to petroleum products, our import bill mostly consists of oil seeds and edible oils," said Pawar.

Modi, on the other hand, propagated the idea of fortification and announced that the state government would move ahead from fortified milk and mid-day meals to fortified chocolate, chikki and others for deprived children.

"Our fortified meals have had a huge impact on the health of children. So much so that the daily presence in schools have increased by 25 per cent," said Modi.