Disastrous surplus

This year Indian agriculture scenario is facing a disaster of a different nature as it seems, from various news items. The moment one hear there is a crisis in this sector, immediately our thinking goes in the direction of a shortage in agricultural output… well this year however, its not shortage but its all about the abundance. Yes, farmers are expecting super duper bumper crops or yield and its causing them some sleepless nights.

Its interesting that we are getting worried about, what ideally should’ve been a happy situation. India – Our country – is abundant with people and there is no shortage of them who desperately need food. It’s a unfortunate reality that a developing country with such a high GDP growth story has people who don’t get a square meal a day. Govt’s after Govt come to power claiming that they will do something different to what has hitherto been done, to make a difference to the starving populace in India…. and we all know in this country how much that has made a difference, really speaking not much

So the question of what’s this surplus worry… or why the surplus output is causing a worry. Well, its really because we in India don’t have any kind of well-working storage systems that can keep these agri produces safe thereby not getting spoilt. The warehouses in our country aren't networked well nor are they well equipped, infact there is not many warehouses that be boasted about. FCI – Food Corporation of India, the Govt owned entity that’s responsible for stocking our food produces, does a very poor job. They were recently picked on for not having done enough during the rainy season, thereby letting grains rot. The roads & railway infra, they are the much needed transportation mechanisms that can mass transport our produces… its in a very poor form too. Roads are in such bad shape, most pot-holed, poorly lit, have no support system for the many drivers that needs to use it. They don’t criss cross our country in a way that would be helpful, time to ask where is the Golden Quadrilateral system that was to changed the shape of our nations roads. Railways, well there is not much space to run the passenger trains, so obviously freight gets lower priority and that means, no ways can railways be depended upon in toto

All said, potatoes, onions are a bumper crop this year… however a consumer in India will not get a great benefit from the surplus, because these extra output is sure to perish at the growers compound or nearby markets…. it will never reach the many millions who need it desperately. Its really time for our Government machinery to take charge and bring happiness in surplus…let some more of us Indians rejoice and have a good aloo paratha or french fries, may a change come that will help us eat onion dosas cheaper than what its now