RA 00048.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

areas in t h e s e zones can be retained under paddy
by diverting w a t e r f r o m high-lying areas.
W h e a t is another important f o o d crop w h i c h
has b e e n receiving g o o d attention. This is a crop
w h i c h is g r o w n in the w i n t e r season and, as such,
has to d e p e n d on moisture stored in t h e soil, or on
irrigation. Suitable conditions prevail only in s o m e
parts of t h e country.
It m a y be easily seen that t h e scope for
increasing t h e area under paddy and w h e a t are
very limited. Increase in the productivity level can,
no doubt, be brought about by adopting intensive
m e a s u r e s . Irrigation b e c o m e s the key factor in
increasing t h e production of rice as w e l l as w h e a t .
There is always a limit up to w h i c h the w a t e r
resources can be stretched. Therefore, the matter
that needs examination is, w h e t h e r it is m o r e
advantageous to use irrigation w a t e r for paddy
w h i c h requires m o r e w a t e r than other crops.
Paddy n e e d s t h r e e t o four t i m e s m o r e w a t e r than
millets. If there is a shortage of cultivated area and
e x c e s s of water, t h e n the proposition of g r o w i n g
paddy under irrigation can be justified. In areas
w h e r e w a t e r is scarce and the land that needs
irrigation is vast, any s c h e m e to g r o w paddy under
irrigation cannot be substantiated on any account.
As far as w h e a t is concerned, there is no reason
w h y cultivation of w h e a t should not be e x t e n d e d
w h e r e v e r irrigation facilities exist. W h e a t is as
g o o d as millets f r o m t h e w a t e r use e c o n o m y point
of v i e w . Temperature, h o w e v e r , b e c o m e s a limiting
factor. On the other hand, maize, s o r g h u m ,
ragi, and m a n y other millets have the inherent
capacity to g r o w and yield w e l l under harsh
conditions w h e r e rice and w h e a t m a y not thrive
w e l l .
In s o m e parts of the w h e a t belt of t h e country,
it has b e e n s h o w n that maize yields are m u c h
higher, e v e n in t h e winter, than w h e a t . Similarly,
s o r g h u m under irrigated conditions do very w e l l
e v e n in t h e s u m m e r . S o r g h u m has been f o u n d to
yield 15 t / h a of grain in 6 m o n t h s in t h e southern
parts o f t h e country. The C S H - 1 crop s o w n a t t h e
e n d of January or the beginning of February is
ready for harvest by t h e e n d of M a y and t h e
ratoon c r o p can be harvested in A u g u s t . Therefore
in 6 m o n t h s , t w o harvests can be obtained.
S o r g h u m is s h o w n to be better than rice, w h e a t ,
a n d ragi in this regard. Detailed studies w o u l d
further unravel t h e potentialities of s o r g h u m .
National policy w i t h regard to crop planning
requires to be reexamined and reoriented keeping
in v i e w t h e w a t e r - u s e e c o n o m y and overall
production and productivity of various f o o d crops.
Food Procurement Policy
It has been the practice in the country, during t h e
last decade or so, to announce the p r o c u r e m e n t
and support prices for f o o d grains. The procurem
e n t price for s o r g h u m w a s Rs. 740 per t o n n e in
1 9 7 6 / 7 7 and 1 9 7 7 / 7 8 ; it w a s Rs. 750 in 1 9 7 8 / 7 9
and Rs. 950 in 1 9 7 9 / 8 0 . This w a s raised to Rs.
1050 in 1 9 8 0 / 8 1 . The prices are similar for coarse
paddy, but they are Rs. 1100, 1120, 1150, 1170.
and 1300 per tonne for w h e a t for t h e corresponding
years. Every year, grain is procured to build up
a buffer stock. The quantities of f o o d grains
procured internally in different years are given in
Table 3. This stock is used for distribution t h r o u g h
fair price shops in urban as w e l l as rural areas. The
stock is also used for m e e t i n g the needs of t h e
rural people in the years of scarcity.
Famines and scarcity conditions occur m o r e
often in drought-prone areas than in the favorable
areas. It is the poor people w h o need t h e f o o d
grains in such a r e a s — m a i n l y coarse grains. W h e n
the stock consists mostly of w h e a t and rice, it
b e c o m e s difficult to m e e t the d e m a n d for millets.
Superior grains are costly and less sustaining than
coarse grains. W h e n there is no other w a y but to
m a k e w h e a t available in the areas w h e r e millets
constitute the staple diet, the p r o b l e m of m i s u s e
arises. To get over all these difficulties it s e e m s
advisable to procure and stock t h e coarse f o o d
grains also in required quantities.
The notion stated to be prevalent against
procurement of coarse grains is w i t h regard to
storage quality. It is believed that maize a n d
s o r g h u m grains do not store w e l l and are prone to
attack by storage pests. Ragi and other small
grains, of course, store very w e l l for a long t i m e . It
is further argued that there is not m u c h marketable
surplus of maize and s o r g h u m grains. It is
also c o m m o n to c o m e across distress sales of
these t w o grains in s o m e years and in s o m e parts
of the country. These grains are stored all over t h e
w o r l d and shipped through long distances, proving
that they are amenable to long-duration
storage.
It w a s estimated by the NCA that about 25
million tonnes of coarse grains w o u l d be required
by 2000 AD to m e e t the needs of t h e animal
industry. Unless production of millets is increased
by adopting suitable measures it w i l l be difficult to
step up the production of animal products. Since
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