Early Times Report
Jammu, Sep 1: A news report published in Early Times dated August 30 titled `JK depends on import to meet food grain requirements' mocks at the government advertisement published in a newspaper by the Agriculture Department.
Exploding the tall claims of the state government of achieving self sufficiency in all spheres, the report said the state depends heavily on import of food grins. Quopting reliable sources, the report said: "…..the present requirement of food grains of state was to the tune of 25 Lakh metric tons. "But surprisingly, despite having vast cultivable area, the state is producing only 7 Lakh metric tons of food grains, while the remaining demand of 18 Lakh metric tonnes that is 72 percent, is being met through imports." Adding more to worries of state government, even the agriculture growth in state has been showing sharp decline. Against the target of 4 percent growth fixed by state government, it has witnessed growth at around 2 percent at constant prices, the report read.
However, the advertisement boasts of an increase in production of food grains over the past two years. According to the advertisement, the state has registered an increase of 2 lakh tones of food grains during the said period. The advertisement interestingly claims export of 4 lakh quintals of RS Pura Basmati.
The other achievements as per the advertisement are subsidy, Kissan credit cards and bringing large chunks of land under irrigation through bore wells etc. This is in total contrast to the data that reflects that the state is fast losing agriculture land to constructions and lack of irrigation facilities. |
