The Hindu Business Line : `Need to expand foodgrains offered through PDS'

MORE THROUGH PDS: Prof M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, MSSRF and Mr C.L.L Gowde, Global theme leader, Crop Improvement & Management, Icrisat, at a press conference in Chennai on Monday. — Shaju John

Chennai , July 17

Expanding the variety of foodgrains available through the public distribution system to include grains such as millets, ragi, bajra and jowar would offer multiple benefits of assuring nutrition security and self-sufficiency in foodgrain production, according to Prof M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.

Addressing a press conference after the inaugural of an international symposium on participatory plant breeding and knowledge management for strengthening rural livelihood, he said restricting the public distribution system to wheat and rice had adversely affected the dry land farmers who constitute the majority of the farmers and the nutrition for the consumers.

Also, it has limited the opportunities for increasing food grain production, which now focuses on irrigated crops such as rice and wheat. With assured marketing of dry land and rainfed crops, the production of nutritious grains, now dismissed as coarse cereals, can be increased. This would improve the livelihood security of the farmers, increase availability of foodgrains and provide balanced nutrition.

Prof Swaminathan pointed out that of the total foodgrain production of 198.36 million tonnes in 2004-05, rice and wheat production was 151.77 million tonnes while production of cereals such as jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, small millets and barley was about 37 million tonnes. According to him, by including these cereals in the public distribution system, an assured market will be provided for the producers while making available nutritious grains to the consumers.

With the creation of the market, the production will increase because there aretechnologies available now to double or triple the production of these grains. The only limitation is the absence of an effective marketing mechanism. Public policy needed to be in synch with technology, he said.

Dr C.L. Laxmipathi Gowda, Global Theme Leader, Crop Improvement and Management, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), said that restricting the public distribution system to rice and wheat had skewed the market and the eating habits of the public. Introduction of new grains into the system and encouraging their use in bakery products would help increase demand.

ICRISAT is soon to launch a watershed development programme in Tamil Nadu with the State Government in principle approving a Rs 9 crore project. An agreement would be signed between ICRISAT and the Government, he said.