Down with American wheat!

[Guest guest]

Down with American Wheat!

 

Sir,

 

India once again decides to import 4.4 million tones

of wheat to control the soaring prices of wheat (IE,

Pune, July 20). Consequently, the prices of wheat in

the international market have gone up. It appears that

by leaking the news that India wants to import wheat,

some persons who are privy to the government

departments concerned with wheat imports are making

big money. This is how corruption starts from the top

of the government administration.

 

Besides, American wheat is not worth importing as it

contains large quantities of weeds that damage

production of wheat in India. India is losing money in

both ways, one by having to use additional weedicide

and herbicide costing around Rs. 470 crores and

reduced production of about 4 million tones. India has

already burnt its fingers by importing Mexican wheat

in the early sixties that contained ‘canary grass

(popularly known as Congress Grass) which has spread

throughout the country reducing agricultural

production and affecting the growth of other useful

plants and crops in all farmlands, public gardens and

every where else.

’

If government agencies like the State Trading

Corporation (STC) work as efficiently and quietly as

the private players do, then instead of allowing

foreigners to make money at the cost of Indian

consumers, the STC can itself make good profits

sharing the same with the government and the poor

consuming public. The WTO has been imposed on the poor

countries by the rich nations using fancy vocabulary

like globalization and free market economy.

 

If the STC starts working like an efficient business

concern, it can itself build its own stock of

sufficient quantities of wheat that can be released

during periods of shortages and rising market prices..

A part of its stock can be given to the public

distribution system to wheat available to the poor at

reasonable prices. This is actually the work that is

required to be coordinated by Agriculture Minister,

Mr. Sharad Pawar who is himself supposed to be an

expert in such matters.

 

Instead, Mr. Pawar seems to be more interested in

administering the BCCI at the cost of this real work

as a union minister for agriculture.

 

Let us hope, wiser counsels shall prevail in the

corridors of government headed by an ace economist

like PM Manmohan Singh.

 

S. M. Acharya,

Save India Association, Pune.

(155 St. Patrick’s Town, Pune 411013, Tel:

020-26870204)

 

 

 

 

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