A proposal to allow the cultivation of pulses and oilseeds on foreign soil for sale in the Indian market, to bridge the country’s demand-supply gap in certain foodgrains, has drawn flak from activists who feel it will harm farmers’ interests and anyway will not help achieve food security

A proposal by the Indian government to help local industry start the farming of pulses and oilseeds in foreign countries and sell the produce back home in India to meet domestic foodgrain shortages has evoked a sharp response from agricultural activists who feel it is an inappropriate response to the country’s food security problems. Besides, they are concerned about the impact such a move will have on the country’s already beleaguered farming community.

The Indian government believes that contract farming of pulses and oilseeds in other countries, and subsequently import of the produce, will not impact domestic farmers. India already imports these items as it faces a huge shortage of them, according to ministry of agriculture officials.

Farm experts disagree. “In a country where more than 2 lakh farmers have committed suicide during the last few years, and 10 farmers are ending their lives daily in regions like Vidarbha, such a proposal seems like a joke,” says activist Vandana Shiva. She adds that cultivating food in foreign countries will only help corporates. 

Food and water policy expert Devinder Sharma echoes Shiva’s views. “The government is deliberately preparing an exit policy for farmers. All attempts are being made to force farmers to leave their traditional means of livelihood… the actual beneficiary will be the corporate world,” he says.

Activists say it’s the government’s flawed food security policies that are responsible for the fact that pulse and oilseed production have not kept pace with demand. Sharma reveals that former farm minister Balram Jhakhar had floated a similar proposal to grow pulses in South Africa. “Conspiracy against the peasants is not a new thing,” he says.

According to K N Govindacharya, who heads the Bharat Vikas Sangam, an organisation that promotes traditional methods of farming, such a move would anyway not ensure food security. “It is an attempt to benefit corporates and is purely anti-people,” he says.

In September 2007, a meeting of the committee of secretaries decided to explore the possibility of cultivating cereals and oilseeds in countries like Myanmar. It asked the commerce and food ministries to examine the feasibility of the proposal.

Following this decision, in early-January, Food Secretary T Nanda Kumar met representatives of the edible oils industry to elicit their response, official sources said. Though the edible oils industry has responded positively to the proposal, it also expressed reservations on issues such as security. It was decided that the government would facilitate the visit of an industry delegation to Myanmar to help private players assess the ground situation. “It is at a very initial stage. The meeting (with the edible oils industry) was held to know the industry’s response to take up contract farming of oil palm in Myanmar,” said another source, adding that the government’s role would be restricted to that of facilitator.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Yashwant Bhave is slated to meet representatives of the pulses industry soon.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said at the National Development Council meeting in December 2007 that there was a need to enhance stocks of foodgrain and consider buffer stocks for pulses and edible oils. Edible oil production in the country is around 7.5 million tonnes against a requirement of 12.5 million tonnes. The deficit is being met through imports of palm and soy oils from Malaysia, Indonesia and Latin America.

Demand for pulses is estimated to go up by 9%, to 18.3 million tonnes in 2009-10, from 16.8 million tonnes projected for 2007-08, while production is likely to remain stagnant at around 13.6 million tonnes. 

Source: The Hindu, January 18, 2008
             Business Standard, January 16, 2008