8.18 ndian onom
state/UT governments to provide better health together with the challenge of enabling Indians
care through polyclinics/veterinary hospitals/ to procure food for their consumption was also
dispensaries/ first-aid centres including mobile there. Over the year, we see the government
veterinary dispensaries. For the prevention of devising various ways and means to handle the
various diseases, 27 veterinary vaccine production twin challenges. Once, the country joined the
units are working with dominance of the public WTO, a new need was felt for producing surplus
sector (20 are in the public sector and rest in the and competing with the world, so that the
private sector). The ‘Livestock Health & Disease benefits of globalisation could also be reaped by
Control’ is being run as a centrally sponsored the agriculture sector. This section discusses the
scheme to assist the attempts of the states and UTs challenges to management of food in the country.
in the area.
Suggestions for further development of the minimum suPPort Price
sector. Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of
(i) Developing progeny tested semen for market intervention by the Government of India to
artificial insemination. insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall
(ii) Expansion of fodder availability through in farm prices —a guarantee price to save farmers
innovative means. from distress sale. The MSPs are announced at
(iii) Facilities of animal health centres need the beginning of the sowing season for certain
to be upgraded and the disease control crops on the basis of the recommendations of
systems made more effective on the the Commission for Agricultural Costs and
veterinary side. Prices (CACP, 1985). The major objectives are
(iv) In the drylands and mountain ecosystems, to support the farmers from distress sales and to
livestock contribute anywhere between procure food grains for public distribution. In case
50 to 75 per cent of the total household the market price for the commodity falls below
income of the rural population. Support the announced minimum price due to bumper
to these massive and highly diverse production and glut in the market, government
livestock populations in these regions is agencies purchase the entire quantity offered by
lacking. the farmers at the announced minimum price.
(v) Raising the capability of the rural poor Commencing with ‘wheat’ for the 1966–67,
to conserve and manage their livestock currently the MSPs are announced for 24
resources, and enables them to derive commodities including seven cereals (paddy,
sustainable incomes from these resources. wheat, barley, jowar, bajra, maize and ragi); five
(vi) Decentralisation and convergence of pulses (gram, arhar/tur, moong, urad and lentil);
policy support for these options is crucial eight oilseeds (groundnut, rapeseed/mustard,
for diversification of livelihoods in toria, soyabean, sunflower seed, sesamum,
small-holder farming. safflower seed and nigerseed); copra, raw cotton,
raw jute and virginia flu cured (VFC) tobacco.
Food mAnAGement The MSPs are fixed at incentive level, to fulfil the
Managing enough food in the domestic market following purposes:
has been the prime focus of the governement since (i) to induce more investment by farmers in
Independence. Meeting the physical target of food the farm sector,