Opinion Coarse correction

It is obvious,thus,that yield growth in these cereals will pay rich dividends in terms of making an effective dent on poverty as well as on malnutrition among children. But,unfortunately,in recent times,scant attention has been paid to improving the yield of these crops. It is assumed that the best way to escape poverty for coarse-cereal producing farmers and tribals is through their shifting cultivation to high-value crops,such as fruits and vegetables and/ or through the seeking of off-farm income.

Such a shift,though desirable,is difficult to achieve,given the pathetic state of irrigation in dry areas and the inability of poorer farmers to bear the risks associated with such shifts. Maharashtra demonstrates this vividly,with high areas under the cultivation of jowar and bajra,despite being one of the leading states in horticulture and vegetable production. The low level of educational attainment among the rural population in these areas also limits off-farm employment possibilities.

It is thus obvious that coarse cereals will continue to remain a major source of livelihood for a large section of India’s agrarian population. There is thus a strong case for supporting these cereals through better prices and improved seeds.

But here’s where the problem arises. Instead of creating incentives for improvements in technology and know-how,we have created disincentives. By supplying cheap wheat and rice through the Public Distribution System we have suppressed the prices of these coarser cereals,squeezing the already meagre incomes of the farmers who produce them.

Yet the fact that a food subsidy for wheat and rice seriously and adversely affects the producers of coarse cereals is seldom mentioned in the political debate on food subsidies. It is sadly ironic that a poverty-oriented scheme worsens the spectre of poverty for the poorest of poor farmers.

The suicides of farmers in Vidarbha dominated political discourse for a considerable time,but the steady decline of jowar cultivation in the region because of non-remunerative prices barely received any attention — despite the fact that it also had a large and adverse impact on the availability of fodder for cattle in the region.

Shetkari Sanghatana,a farmers’ organisation active in Maharashtra that is led by Raghunathdada Patil,is aware of these issues and is trying to make itself heard in the cacophony of the debate over food subsidy. The organisation’s demands include the introduction of direct cash transfers,as an alternative to the PDS. The organisation says that over 50,000 letters have reached the prime minister’s office making this plea. This political action is primarily driven by what is expected to be the further suppression of the prices of coarser cereals once the food security legislation is in place. Unfortunately,the present noisy debate on the food security bill has not addressed this vital aspect.

The finance minister’s reference to coarse cereals in his budget is thus heartening. However,the actual budgetary allocation for programmes that target these cereals is paltry.

The writer is a Nashik-based food and agriculture policy economist express@expressindia.com