This refers to the Farm View column “Danger signals crop up” (October 5). During the last two decades, agriculture as a sector and foodgrain cultivation in particular have lost the national priority they enjoyed in pre-reform days. As a result of this neglect, the land available for cultivation is being under-utilised, the country is not taking advantage of modern agricultural practices and storage and processing facilities for agricultural produce are inadequate.
A change is overdue in our agricultural practices and storage and processing facilities that factor in changes in food habits like the urban bias towards processed food, non-availability of traditional food articles in villages and the need to ensure minimum nutritional needs to the under-privileged. Only a small section of the urban population can afford the prices of imported processed food and bottled drinking water. The well-being of the remaining one billion people is dependent on the food and water available locally and, therefore, the government should give priority to agriculture and water management to prevent catastrophes in food and water availability in the country.
M G Warrier, Mumbai
