India ranks below China, Pak in global hunger index

[SATISH]

We have a wonder ful attitude..." will even let the whole crop to rot, But wont give it off for free"

 

[pmaitra]

A couple of reports on the inefficient PDS in India:

[video]http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-08-11/india-hunger-grain-depot.html#[/video]

The low productivity in India is a result of the following factors:

• According to World Bank, Indian Branch: Priorities for Agriculture and Rural Development", India's large agricultural subsidies are hampering productivity-enhancing investment. Overregulation of agriculture has increased costs, price risks and uncertainty. Government intervenes in labour, land, and credit markets. India has inadequate infrastructure and services. World Bank also says that the allocation of water is inefficient, unsustainable and inequitable. The irrigation infrastructure is deteriorating. The overuse of water is currently being covered by over pumping aquifers, but as these are falling by foot of groundwater each year, this is a limited resource.
• Illiteracy, general socio-economic backwardness, slow progress in implementing land reforms and inadequate or inefficient finance and marketing services for farm produce.
• Inconsistent government policy. Agricultural subsidies and taxes often changed without notice for short term political ends.
• The average size of land holdings is very small (less than 20,000 m²) and is subject to fragmentation, due to land ceiling acts and in some cases, family disputes. Such small holdings are often over-manned, resulting in disguised unemployment and low productivity of labour.
• Adoption of modern agricultural practices and use of technology is inadequate, hampered by ignorance of such practices, high costs and impracticality in the case of small land holdings.
• Irrigation facilities are inadequate, as revealed by the fact that only 52.6% of the land was irrigated in 2003–04, which result in farmers still being dependent on rainfall, specifically the Monsoon season. A good monsoon results in a robust growth for the economy as a whole, while a poor monsoon leads to a sluggish growth. Farm credit is regulated by NABARD, which is the statutory apex agent for rural development in the subcontinent. At the same time overpumping made possible by subsidized electric power is leading to an alarming drop in aquifer levels.

Source: Agriculture in India - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some comments on Chinese Agriculture:

• Due to political and technological changes over the last half of the 20th century, the agricultural production of China greatly increased.
• However since 2000 the depletion of China's main aquifers has led to an overall decrease in grain production, turning China into a net importer. The trend of Chinese dependence on imported food is expected to accelerate as the water shortage worsens.
• China is the world's largest importer of soybeans and other food crops.

Concerns:
As a developing nation, China has relatively low sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards for its agricultural goods. Corruption in the government, such as the bribery of former head of the State Food and Drug Administration Zheng Xiaoyu, has also complicated China's regulation difficulties. Excessive pesticide residues, low food hygiene, unsafe additives, contamination with heavy metals and other contaminants, and misuse of veterinary drugs have all led to trade restrictions with developed nations such as Japan, the United States, and the European Union. These problems have also led to public outcry, such as in the melamine-tainted dog food scare and the carcinogenic-tainted seafood import restriction, leading to measures such as the "China-free" label.

Source: Agriculture in China - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[nimo_cn]

Why are more chinese starving if this were the case?? Chinese wealth is in Debt holdings and not in real assets. Look at who has more real assets and you find the reason why chinese are starving and trying to be a cheap #2 competitor to USA while being trapped in the third world quicksand.

Have you finished reading the report? Or is it because i misread the report?

I believe the report said China ranks 9 and India ranks 67, and higher rank means less starvation. Therefore China should have less people starving if compared with India.

Correct me if i am wrong on this in case i misapprehended the article.

 

[nimo_cn]

Concerns:
As a developing nation, China has relatively low sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards for its agricultural goods. Corruption in the government, such as the bribery of former head of the State Food and Drug Administration Zheng Xiaoyu, has also complicated China's regulation difficulties. Excessive pesticide residues, low food hygiene, unsafe additives, contamination with heavy metals and other contaminants, and misuse of veterinary drugs have all led to trade restrictions with developed nations such as Japan, the United States, and the European Union. These problems have also led to public outcry, such as in the melamine-tainted dog food scare and the carcinogenic-tainted seafood import restriction, leading to measures such as the "China-free" label.

What is the point of highlighting this?
The report has clealy indicated that China has done a much better job than your country in relieving poverty and starvation. Posting such crap won't change that fact, nor will it help your country solve the problems.

Just for what it is worth, hope this piece may inspire you to think further.

The Hindu : News / National : India turns to China for grain storage expertise

India turns to China for grain storage expertise
With the National Food Security Bill bringing into sharp focus the requirement of scientific storage, India is looking at collaborating with China in building a modern and temperature-controlled facility.

China has the capacity to store up to 200 million tonnes of wheat and paddy, while India's capacity is 42 million tonnes with an unmet requirement for an additional 17 million tonnes.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

India is not using more than 15% of it's arable land capacity, China is probably at 100% where does China go from here?? and you still have starvation even at this rate.

 

[badguy2000]

India is not using more than 15% of it's arable land capacity, China is probably at 100% where does China go from here?? and you still have starvation even at this rate.

yes, India is so eviroment-friendly that they would rather be malnourished with their arable land virginia

 

[LETHALFORCE]

yes, India is so eviroment-friendly that they would rather be malnourished with their arable land virginia

please translate, and try to make sense in your arguments.

 

[Rebelkid]

yes, India is so eviroment-friendly that they would rather be malnourished with their arable land virginia

He means india is soo environmental friendly to use more land for agriculture... But i still don't understand his statement...lol

 

[amoy]

don't see why always such comparison btwn India and China even of starvation or nutrition index.

we really are totally different, as in different leagues. India shall feel more comfortable by setting Pakistan or Bangladesh as benchmarks, all on the subcontinent with more similarity

 

[LETHALFORCE]

This was an international study and China is part of the international community.

 

[tarunraju]

please translate, and try to make sense in your arguments.

I think he means "India is trying to be 'environmentally friendly' by letting arable land stay unused (meaning it will remain as forest land)."

 

[ajtr]

Spurious growth:India's hungry remain unfed​

October 14, 2010 1:57:36 AM
The Pioneer Edit Desk
For an aspiring economic power that is expected to overtake some of the Western economies by 2020, India should be shocked that it ranks close to the bottom — 67th among 84 developing countries — in the Global Hunger Index for 2010. But then New Delhi is so consumed by the desire to be toasted by world capital for its economic feats that it has failed to notice, or deliberately glossed over, the rot within. Curiously enough, it has failed to appreciate that such fault lines will eventually torpedo its campaign to become a member of the exclusive club of developed economies. When India is home to more than 42 per cent of the world's underweight children, and even more who are undernourished, what is the point in boasting that coming generations of Indians will propel the country forward at a scorching pace of development? These are not children who are raring to change the fortunes of their nation; they are fighting a bitter battle of survival. If they live through their childhood, they will grow into cynical adults wallowing in gut-wrenching poverty. The Hunger Index also brings home the reality, though not for the first time, that India is not only about its middle-class with disposable income, but also the vast majority of people who live underprivileged lives in its villages and cities, having little or no access to basic health, housing and education facilities. Hunger is something which both the Government and the middle-class refuse to acknowledge lest it blots the country's image, but such facts of life cannot be wished away. The Prime Minister continuously talks of "inclusive growth" and how double-digit growth will wipe away India's curse. But impressive statistics that reflect a growing GDP do not necessarily accurately mirror the reality of another India where millions live on the margins, barely surviving from day to day.

There is a great divide that is staring us in the face. On the one side, are those who have profited from liberalisation and the Government's callous indifference towards the have-nots. On the other side, are the wretched of the Earth, those whom both society and Government have forsaken and left to fend for themselves. This divide grows bigger by the day and feeds resentment that is manifested in anger against the state. It would be facetious to suggest that the rich and the powerful, the bold and the beautiful live in India and the rest are huddled in Bharat. Such divisions are as spurious as the so-called welfare policies of the Congress-led UPA Government which excels in paying lip service to the poor while doing precious little to really empower them. For long, it has been argued that India needs a model of development that includes the largest number of people. Sadly, we have witnessed the Government persisting with a model of development that excludes the largest number of people. It is, therefore, not surprising that we should lag behind so many countries with a lower growth rate when it comes to feeding the hungry masses.

 

[amoy]

the thread shall be renamed as

: India ranks above Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in global hunger index

That will please Chinese or Indian readers :happy_2:

Why pull China into such a comparion. That's degrading. I have met lots of poor Chinese, but hardly one in 'HUNGER' :emot154:

 

[Rage]

main reasion might be the low efficiency and productivty of India's agriculture.

India's food production/per square is only 1/3-1/2 of China. India's per capital food productivity is only 1/3-1/2... it is very hard to provide Indian people enough food on such a condition.

You need to educate yourself about the state of Indian agriculture. There is enough production right now to feed the entire country and half of it over. The problem is surplus grain storage rotting in our godownw because of an inefficient PDS, and India is working with Argentina to ensure it happens less often in the future:

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/article547919.ece

According to India-style loose definition of "mid-class",90% of Chinese, except those entitled to poverty subsidies ,can be titled "mid class".

According to Chinese definition of "mid-class" .90% of India "mid class" so called can be entitle to poverty subsidies in CHina.


BTW.

India total wealth is less than China.
India has more billionnaires than CHina
India has much more people in abject poverty than CHina.
however, some guys like LETHALFORCE still insist that India has better wealth distribution than CHina......what a joke!

We've gone through this before. Remember the thread where you were proved wrong?

http://www.defenceforum.in/forum/economy/8663.htm


Ofcourse, when even the 'poor' live like this..

http://www.defenceforum.in/forum/economy/2744-47.htm#post180426

You're a fanboy, and fanboys tend to knock it when they don't know it.

 

[nimo_cn]

India is not using more than 15% of it's arable land capacity, China is probably at 100% where does China go from here?? and you still have starvation even at this rate.

That is probably the main reason why the one child policy was adopted in the first place.

Put aside where China should go from here, at least as of now China's starvation level is pretty low, whereas India, who owns much more arable land than China, is stricken by such a serious starvation.
I think you should worry about Indian people's present life instead of being concerned about Chinese people's future life, though i appreciate your concern about China's future.

 

[pmaitra]

What is the point of highlighting this?
The report has clealy indicated that China has done a much better job than your country in relieving poverty and starvation. Posting such crap won't change that fact, nor will it help your country solve the problems.

Let's call a spade a spade. If there is an unpleasant truth, then let's acknowledge it as the unpleasant truth. Simply calling it 'crap' isn't going to 'help your country solve the problems' either. Or is it?

If I highlighted something, simply counter it with facts. I am simply trying to authenticate the very title of this thread 'India ranks below China, Pak in global hunger index'; and I have also questioned how the data was collected and what observations were taken. No convincing pointers so far. How about you provide me with some answers to my post (Post #5)?

Just for what it is worth, hope this piece may inspire you to think further.

The Hindu : News / National : India turns to China for grain storage expertise

Thanks for the link. I think other posters have already highlighted the inefficiency with which India stores grains. I have also posted a few reports (Post #23).

 

[ajtr]

India Formulates Sweeping New Legal Guarantee of Right to Food​

This week, an annual hunger index put India behind North Korea and Sudan in terms of addressing malnutrition. Now, India is believed to be less than a year away from enacting a sweeping law it hopes will bring relief.

Ambitious law

Hundreds of millions of Indians live near the brink of starvation. Biraj Patnaik, a Commissioner to India's Supreme Court, is advising policy makers on a new law to help change that.

"The National Food Security Act is by far one of the most ambitious legislations that have been attempted in this country since independence," Patnaik said.

The act would legislate the right to food in India, largely in the form of subsidized wheat and rice from the government. Patnaik, who has worked on the law for ten years, says a lot of time has been spent determining just who should be legally entitled to food security.

"That's really the debate," said Patnaik. "Whether India should really be looking at identifying a poverty line and targeting people, or should they just be looking at creating universal entitlement where every single citizen in the country is entitled to this right, whether they choose to exercise it or not."

Reliance on PDS

The act would rely in large part on India's Public Distribution System. The PDS handles massive amounts of government grain, but is widely criticized for waste, corruption and inefficiency. Indian authorities acknowledge less than half the grains processed through the PDS actually make it to the intended recipients. Indian media have also focused public attention in recent months on thousands of tons of grain rotting in the open, due to insufficient storage capacity.

The new law is expected to spell out reforms of the Public Distribution System, including new investments in transport and storage. Devinder Sherma, a food policy analyst, says the new law should aim to decentralize the food system and set up local grain banks.

"I don't understand why, in a village where people produce food -- and in fact many times surplus food-- people should be going hungry in that same village," Sherma said. "Let's make villages self-sufficient as far as food is concerned. And then we target only the urban centers by this public distribution system."

Hunger index

Purnima Menon is a research fellow at the Institute for Food Policy Research in New Delhi. Her institute's 2010 Global Hunger Index, which came out this week, ranked India 67th worst out of 84 developing nations battling hunger.

She says the law has sparked discussions that go beyond how to distribute wheat and rice. She views the law as an opportunity for India to completely redefine food security.

"What does it mean for a child whose only food security is to be breast fed? Is the Food Security Act going to actually cover that, and make sure that mom is able to stay home from work and breast feed, because, really, that's the only way you can ensure food security for a baby," Menon said.

Biraj Patnaik, the Supreme Court Commissioner, is confident the law will pass. But once that happens, he is concerned about whether the government has the political will to enforce it.

"Can an ordinary person who is deprived of their entitlement under this act ever hope that they would get justice out of the system and that their grievance would be addressed?... If a child dies of malnutrition... someone has to be punished," Patnaik said.

Others have expressed concern that issues of clean water and sanitation for India's poorest regions have been left out of the debate over the National Food Security Act. Ensuring those services are key in helping the poor avoid illnesses that prevent them from absorbing nutrition.

 

[Yatharth Singh]

I just want to ask some questions to the thread poster.
Sir, you posted just the results of the survey, research and all. But I just want to know that what were the basis of of that survey and researches. How many places and villages were considered for this. Because as a common citizen of India and also being aware of the situation of current conditions in India I`m sure that these results are far inaccurate than the reality.

And please do answer my question IF YOU CAN.

 

[Yatharth Singh]

why not consider this.
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html

 

[roma]

yathraj -ji some of these folks need it spelt out for them ...India is ranked 112, pak is at 122 and china-dragon is far below at 144 .