Question

Question 29
For discussion
Despite being one of the growing economies, our country still has a large section of population going hungry and malnourished. Do you think an efficient crop production mechanism is the only solution to this? Discuss in the class what else needs to be done to root out hunger and malnutrition from our country.

Answer 1

India ranks $2^{nd}$ in worldwide farm output. Agriculture and its allied sectors (forestry and fishing) account for nearly $14\%$ of the country’s GDP. Crop production in India is certainly at its all time high. However, discrepancies in crop storage and distribution is the main reason behind the problem of hunger and malnutrition in the country.
The major construction materials for storage structures in rural areas are mud, bamboo, stones, and plant materials. They are neither rodent-proof, nor secure from fungal and insect attack. On average, out of a total $6\%$loss of food grain in such storage structures, about half is due to rodents, and half to insects and fungi.
Improving upon such structures can help reduce crop damage to a great extent. Some of the major considerations in building a storage structure to minimise losses are:
* the structure should be elevated and away from moist places in the house;
* as far as possible, the structure should be airtight, even at loading and unloading ports;
* rodent-proof materials should be used for construction of rural storages;
* the area surrounding the structure should be clean to minimise insect breeding; and
* the structure should be plastered with an impervious clay layer to avoid termite attack, or attack by other insects.
Food distribution in India is regulated by the Public Distribution System (PDS). The PDS encounters multiple challenges in its way to reach out to the needy. These challenges pertain to the inaccurate identification of households and a lpilfer-ridden delivery system. The condition can be ameliorated by establishing a method for better identification of households so that poor are not included in non-poor and can get the food grains at a subsidized rate; the pilferage of food grains during transportation to the ration shop and from the ration shop itself into the open market should be checked and be curbed to ensure that the grains reach the deserving and the worthy.
These measures, although seeming difficult, can be applied and help improve the condition of hunger and malnutrition in the country.