MOM’S UNLEARNT LESSONS By. Prasoon S Majumdar
(Feature Editor, The Sunday Indian
(Mr. Prasoon Majumdar’s column ‘Musings’) made a serious reading. It is really upsetting and shocking to note that we are wasting such a lot of food stuff which can be utilized for the benefit of 200 billion people of India. It is estimated that more than 30% of our total production of our food grains is destroyed by rats and pests. As a nation we are the largest producers of tropical fruit in the world, but our ways of handling it are still very primitive. The time period between the production and consumption are very large and our handling system makes it more delay to reach the consumers before it perish. The major reason for this wastage is our unplanned distribution system. When the final product reaches to the consumers it will change through many hands and everywhere there is a commission or margin, which leads to pay an exorbitant price by the consumers, at the time the original producers get a poor price. The only solution to this is to develop a healthy distribution system with the latest technology and infrastructure. Above all, find a solution to destroy the rats and pests which destroys a major portion of our food grain. This is done with a war footing way, since the rat population is increasing alarmingly. Let’s seriously rethink Mr. Prasoon Majumdar’s mom’s words, “if you dishonour food by wasting it then some day food would dishonour you’. Is not any remedy for this national wastage? Our think tanks and technologist/agriculturalist should think seriously to find a solution to this. Who is to be blame for this is big question left out.
Philip V Ariel, Secunderabad