write in brief about the food problems in India
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Frankly speaking, our food problem, dates to the partition of Burma from India in April 1937 when India lost her best rice producing areas and had to import 15 to 20 lakh tons of rice from Burma. India faced its first serious food shortage in 1943, when millions of people perched in the Bengal famine.
This famine showed India’s weakness in rice production. Separation of Burma forced India to import rice; the Partition in 1947 made India dependent on import of wheat. Rapid increase of population sine 1920, the separation of Burma in 1937, the creation of Pakistan in 1947 and occasional crop failures due to failure of monsoons have had been the basic causes for the origin of food problem in India.
During the First 5-Year Plan (1951-56):
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The Government introduced the First Five-Year Plan in 1951 to achieve self-sufficiency in food. The Government undertook measures of agricultural development, irrigation, etc. Production increased rapidly. In 1950-51 India produced 55 mm. tonnes of food grains; but in 1955-56, India produced over 69 mn tonnes of food grains-an increase of more than 25% in 5 years.
As a result of this increase in food production, the prices of foodstuffs fell and there was plenty of foodstuffs available to the people. The imports of food grains were cut down from 48 lakh tonnes in 1941 to 6 lakh tonnes in 1955. Finally, the Government gave up controls and rationing of foodstuffs. The Government and the people felt happy that at least the food problem was solved.
During the Second 5-Year Plan:
The feeling of happiness and optimism which the Government felt about the food problem at the end of the First Plan was short-lived. For, even from 1955, prices of food grains started rising. In the beginning, the rise in prices was very mild and was not even noticed; but soon prices of food grains rose rapidly.
By 1958-59, the food problem became very acute and there was almost a crisis. But the strange thing was that throughout this period the production of food grains was increasing; food grains production increased from 69mn. tonnes in 1955- 56 to 82mn. tonnes in 1960-61. There was actually no shortage of food grains, but what worried the people and the Government was the increase in food grains prices.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
So long as food was available at reasonable prices, people believed that there was no food problem. But when the prices of food grains increased rapidly, they felt panicky even though there were adequate stocks. This phenomenon has continued till today—of abundant supply and rising food grains prices, creating a feeling of crisis.
During the Third 5-Year Plan:
During the first decade of planning food grains production in spite of some setbacks, had shown significant increase. Between 1950-50 and 1960-61 the production of food grains increased from 55mn. tonnes to 82mn. tonnes—the increase in production of food grain was over 50%.
During the same period, population of India increased only by 22%. After 1960-61, the food production had gone from bad to worse. In the first place, the production of food grains was more or less constant, till it reached a record high of 89mn. tonnes in 1964-65. But in the last year of the Third Plan (i.e., 1965-66) production came down badly to 72 mn. tonnes. India went through severe famine conditions in Bihar and U.P.
Since 1965-66:
The Government set about the task of facing the food problem with courage and vision. On the one hand, large imports of food grains specially wheat were effected. Internally, the new agricultural strategy of food production was rigorously followed. The weather gods also were favourable. Thus output of food grains increased to 95 million tonnes in 1967-68, 108 million tonnes in 1970-71 and 14 million tonnes in 1971-72.
The favourable output in the first three years of the Fourth Plan gave the impression that the country has solved the food problem finally. Visions of food self-sufficiency and even the possibility of exporting food grains were openly discussed. But the successive bad crops of 104 million tonnes and 95 millions tonnes of 1971-72 and 1972-73 respectively created panic again in the food front.
The decline in agricultural production in 1972-73 was particularly severe—the output in that year was 8 million tonnes less than the previous year and 11 millions tonnes less than the year before. The revival in 1973-74 was only marginal. But the food situation has been fluctuating from year to year.
Revival in 1973-74 decline in 1974- 75 and record bumper crop in 1975-76 (115 mi Problem:
The Go
India’s food problem normally takes two aspects, i.e., shortfall in internal production and high prices of food grains. These two aspects are, in fact, inter-related. It is the internal shortage of production, combined wi
This famine showed India’s weakness in rice production. Separation of Burma forced India to import rice; the Partition in 1947 made India dependent on import of wheat. Rapid increase of population sine 1920, the separation of Burma in 1937, the creation of Pakistan in 1947 and occasional crop failures due to failure of monsoons have had been the basic causes for the origin of food problem in India.
During the First 5-Year Plan (1951-56):
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The Government introduced the First Five-Year Plan in 1951 to achieve self-sufficiency in food. The Government undertook measures of agricultural development, irrigation, etc. Production increased rapidly. In 1950-51 India produced 55 mm. tonnes of food grains; but in 1955-56, India produced over 69 mn tonnes of food grains-an increase of more than 25% in 5 years.
As a result of this increase in food production, the prices of foodstuffs fell and there was plenty of foodstuffs available to the people. The imports of food grains were cut down from 48 lakh tonnes in 1941 to 6 lakh tonnes in 1955. Finally, the Government gave up controls and rationing of foodstuffs. The Government and the people felt happy that at least the food problem was solved.
During the Second 5-Year Plan:
The feeling of happiness and optimism which the Government felt about the food problem at the end of the First Plan was short-lived. For, even from 1955, prices of food grains started rising. In the beginning, the rise in prices was very mild and was not even noticed; but soon prices of food grains rose rapidly.
By 1958-59, the food problem became very acute and there was almost a crisis. But the strange thing was that throughout this period the production of food grains was increasing; food grains production increased from 69mn. tonnes in 1955- 56 to 82mn. tonnes in 1960-61. There was actually no shortage of food grains, but what worried the people and the Government was the increase in food grains prices.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
So long as food was available at reasonable prices, people believed that there was no food problem. But when the prices of food grains increased rapidly, they felt panicky even though there were adequate stocks. This phenomenon has continued till today—of abundant supply and rising food grains prices, creating a feeling of crisis.
During the Third 5-Year Plan:
During the first decade of planning food grains production in spite of some setbacks, had shown significant increase. Between 1950-50 and 1960-61 the production of food grains increased from 55mn. tonnes to 82mn. tonnes—the increase in production of food grain was over 50%.
During the same period, population of India increased only by 22%. After 1960-61, the food production had gone from bad to worse. In the first place, the production of food grains was more or less constant, till it reached a record high of 89mn. tonnes in 1964-65. But in the last year of the Third Plan (i.e., 1965-66) production came down badly to 72 mn. tonnes. India went through severe famine conditions in Bihar and U.P.
Since 1965-66:
The Government set about the task of facing the food problem with courage and vision. On the one hand, large imports of food grains specially wheat were effected. Internally, the new agricultural strategy of food production was rigorously followed. The weather gods also were favourable. Thus output of food grains increased to 95 million tonnes in 1967-68, 108 million tonnes in 1970-71 and 14 million tonnes in 1971-72.
The favourable output in the first three years of the Fourth Plan gave the impression that the country has solved the food problem finally. Visions of food self-sufficiency and even the possibility of exporting food grains were openly discussed. But the successive bad crops of 104 million tonnes and 95 millions tonnes of 1971-72 and 1972-73 respectively created panic again in the food front.
The decline in agricultural production in 1972-73 was particularly severe—the output in that year was 8 million tonnes less than the previous year and 11 millions tonnes less than the year before. The revival in 1973-74 was only marginal. But the food situation has been fluctuating from year to year.
Revival in 1973-74 decline in 1974- 75 and record bumper crop in 1975-76 (115 mi Problem:
The Go
India’s food problem normally takes two aspects, i.e., shortfall in internal production and high prices of food grains. These two aspects are, in fact, inter-related. It is the internal shortage of production, combined wi
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