New Delhi
09 September 2009
Indian PM Manmohan Singh (file photo) |
As the driest monsoon season in seven years raises the specter of failed harvests, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says bumper food grain production in the past two years will help India overcome any shortfall in food production this year.
Mr. Singh was addressing a conference of state leaders Wednesday.
"We had record production and procurement of food grains in both 2007-2008 and 2008-2009," he said. "We thus have adequate food stocks, and there is no cause of concern or fear of shortages of food grains in the country as a whole."
The government has sufficient stockpiles of staples such as wheat and rice. The government has also said it will step up imports of items such as edible oils and lentils if needed. But officials say India will not publicly announce its plans to import food 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) |
The prime minister is stressing the need for measures to help farmers. He has called on all states to quickly implement a rural job scheme that provides poor families with 100 days of work a year. He says this will act 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) |