Agricultural economist and former chairman of Karnataka Agriculture Prices Commission (KAPC), T.N. Prakash Kammaradi, has suggested to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to procure ragi and jowar from local farmers to be given as substitute to additional quantum of rice in the PDS instead of procuring rice from other States.
“More than hunger, it is malnutrition that is haunting people of Karnataka, especially women and children. Even the High Court of Karnataka has made an observation in this regard. Nutritional security can be taken care of by providing these nutri rich millets (ragi in southern Karnataka and jowar in northern Karnataka),” Dr. Kammaradi said, in a letter to the Chief Minister.
He suggested that the government should start giving 5 kg of ragi/jowar along with 5 kg of rice under PDS to people after consulting farmers’ organisations and experts.
Pointing out that such a huge quantum of ragi and jowar may not be available immediately, he said farmers who are getting ready for kharif sowing now may opt for cultivation of these millets if the government promises them of procuring their produce by paying 50% more on the cultivation costs as per the recommendation of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan report. Indicating that such a process would benefit both consumers and farmers, he said the KAPC had already submitted a report in this regard to the government in 2014.
He said as per Swaminathan report, government would have to pay ₹50 per kg for ragi and ₹43 a kg for jowar. However, the actual “economic expenses” of rice procurement from other States would also be around ₹43 a kg. This would further go up as transport costs would also need to be added to this, he said, while arguing that it would be better to procure ragi and jowar from our own farmers instead of rice.
Expressing concern over the issue related to nutritional security becoming a bone of contention between the State and the Centre, he suggested to the State to bring pressure on the Centre to amend its Food Security Act to ensure that every person gets 10 kg of foodgrains a month under PDS.
Pointing out that a healthy person requires 10 kg of foodgrains a day as per the recommendation of the Hyderabad-based National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau, he said the Congress government in Karnataka should evolve a comprehensive plan to supply the scientifically recommended quantum of cereals, pulses, oil seeds and milk under PDS. “Such a nutritional plan will not only be a model for the entire country, but also become a major agenda that can be placed in the Lok Sabha polls by the Congress,” he said.
