Major steps needed to improve food security

India needs to take big initiatives to improve its food security as it faces supply constraints, water scarcity, small landholdings, low per capita GDP and inadequate irrigation, the Economic Survey said.

In addition to growth in agricultural output, allied sectors such as dairy, poultry, fishing and livestock also needed a boost, which would help increase rural prosperity in line with the government’s aim to double farmers’ income, it said.

India ranked 76th in 113 countries assessed by The Global Food Security Index(GFSI) last year, based on four parameters—affordability, availability, quality, safety and natural resources.

“India’s food security challenges lie in the areas of low GDP per capita, sufficiency of supply, public expenditure on R&D and protein quality,” it said.

The survey said India needed to address these issues not just for food security, but welfare of rural India, where the majority of people live.

“Agriculture remains the pre-dominant occupation in India for vast sections of the population. Over the years, several new challenges have emerged before the sector. With fragmentation of agricultural holdings and depletion of water resources, the adoption of a resource-efficient, information and communication technology (ICT) based climate-smart agriculture can enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability,” it said.

Farmers also need real-time data about weather conditions and prices of inputs and output to help them increase productivity and prosperity, it said.

It said mobile phones had already helped farmers get useful information. “In the context of poor infrastructure, adoption of ICT in agriculture will promote market access, facilitate financial inclusion and contribute significantly to early warning signals that are critical for the development of smallholder community.”

The survey said efficient use of water and fertilisers was necessary because many prevailing practices and schemes were contributing to water scarcity and wrong use of nutrients.

Source:-https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/grocery/major-steps-needed-to-improve-food-security/70082329