Singh: India Has Sufficient Food To Overcome Shortages

Indian PM Manmohan Singh (file photo)The Indian prime minister says the country has sufficient food stocks,despite a drought in nearly half the country. But there are concernsthe drought will intensify poverty in the countryside.  

As thedriest monsoon season in seven years raises the specter of failedharvests, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says bumper food grainproduction in the past two years will help India overcome any shortfallin food production this year.

Mr. Singh was addressing a conference of state leaders Wednesday.

"Wehad record production and procurement of food grains in both 2007-2008and 2008-2009," he said. "We thus have adequate food stocks, and thereis no cause of concern or fear of shortages of food grains in thecountry as a whole."

The government has sufficient stockpiles ofstaples such as wheat and rice. The government has also said it willstep up imports of items such as edible oils and lentils if needed. But officials say India will not publicly announce its plans to importfood because this tends to drive up world market prices.

A farmer waits for rain on his drought hit paddy field in Morigoan in India’s northeastern state of Assam (File)Althoughthe country may be able to stave off shortages, food prices aresurging, hitting poor people especially hard. The drought is alsoexpected to reduce incomes of farmers, many of whom have not been ableto sow crops due to lack of rains in the monsoon season. Nearly 700million people depend on agriculture for their livelihood in India.  

Theprime minister is stressing the need for measures to help farmers. Hehas called on all states to quickly implement a rural job scheme thatprovides poor families with 100 days of work a year. He says this willact as a "safety net" for farmers whose crops have failed.  

"We have to redouble our efforts to mitigate rural distress rising from the after effects of drought," he said.

A farmer prepares to plant paddy seedlings in Phoolpur, east of Allahabad, India (File)Monsoonrains usually come from June to September, and are critical becausemore than half the country's farmland is not irrigated. This year along dry spell lasted until August, but rain began to fall this monthraising hopes that farmers will be able to plant winter crops such aswheat. India is among the world's leading producers of crops such aswheat, rice and sugar.