Business Standard

Commercial crops' acerage grow at faster clip

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Ajay Modi New Delhi
Farm land under commercial crops in the country is growing at a much faster clip than under food grain, supporting the thesis that higher cultivation of such crops is leading to a worldwide food shortage.
 
The growth in the acreage of wheat was 8.97 per cent between 2000-01 and 2006-07, while rice acreage showed a decline of 2.43 per cent.
 
Against this, the acreage of mustard grew 47.32 per cent, while soybean increased 29.75 per cent, and sugarcane went up 12.5 per cent during the period.
 
What has worsened the food scenario in the country is the declining productivity of some food grain crops coupled with the shrinkage in their acreage.
 
Between 2000-01 and 2006-07, the per hectare yield of wheat declined from 27.08 quintal to 26.71 quintal (3.85 per cent lower than the record yield of 27.78 quintal in 1999-2000). During this period, the yield of pulses grew from 5.44 quintal to 6.16 quintal. However, per-hectare output in 2006-07was nearly 4 per cent lower than the record yield of 6.35 in 2003-04.
 
However, the yield of rice grew from 19.01 quintal to a record 21.27 quintal over the same period.
 
As a result, there has been a shortfall in the achievement of target of food grain, pulses, and oilseeds during 2000-01 to 2006-07. The actual production of food grain on an average was 93 per cent of the target. In pulses, it was 87.7 per cent of the target, while it was 85.3 per cent in oilseeds. Production of sugarcane and cotton, however, was way beyond their respective targets in 2005-06 and 2006-07, the latest Economic Survey points out.
 
The shift in crops and productivity has left an impact on food consumption trends. The per capita per month consumption of cereals has come down from 14.9 kg in 1983 to 12.1 kg in 2004-05 in rural areas, while in urban areas it has slipped from 11.6 kg to 9.9 kg during the same period.
 
"Naturally, the area under cereals as a per cent of the gross cropped area has seen a decline. At the same time, the area has increased for commercial crops like cotton, oilseeds and sugarcane," said Ashok Gulati, director (Asia), International Food Policy Research Institute.
 
The price rise in food items is due to global factors. Even today, domestic prices are under control. Policy makers need to be cautious and there should be no panic. The latest measures taken by the government such as import duty cuts must cool prices over the next couple of weeks, Gulati added.

 

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First Published: Apr 07 2008 | 12:00 AM IST

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