In the paper, it is said that India is self-sufficient in food grains, and to me, it's quite fantastic. In fact, the paper suggested that there is even a reserve. What is not clear to me are the following:

One, if we focus on some staples that are probably relevant in some Asian countries like the Philippines, rice for example, I would like to find out what would be the yield per hectare in the case of rice in India.

And secondly, in the process of achieving self-sufficiency in food grain, I would like to find out how much of the government's budget, whether national or local or combined, was allocated to food and related services in arriving at self-sufficiency.

And third, whether the policy of self-sufficiency will continue in India, because I would like to find out whether they should be a model. Self-sufficiency is an approach toward food security, but it could also be a kind approach for self-sufficiency in one or two major crops and also self-reliance on other crops. In other words, it need not necessarily be just the approach that is self-sufficiency, because we are looking at aspects like comparative advantage here. In other words, there might be a cost associated with the approach or strategy of arriving at self-sufficiency versus a combination of self-sufficiency in few products and self-reliance. So, it is possible that the resources of the country can be real-located to other activities, not necessarily in agriculture, but in other industrial activities, but having the resources to access the other crops where the country might not have the comparative advantage.

So, in summary, three issues: One is the yield per hectare per rice; two, the budgetary support to food and related services as a person of the total budget; and three, would be the kind of strategy so this will continue as, you know, in the light of also increasing population, we might need some areas for other activities. Thank you.

THE CHAIRPERSON (MR. SHIV KHARE):

Thank you.

MR. KAMAL MOHAN CHADHA (INDIA):

As far as the productivity of rice is concerned, it was 668 kg per hectare in 1950-51. Today, we are at 1 879 kg per hectare.

THE CHAIRPERSON (MR. SHIV KHARE):

One thousand eight hundred seventy nine?

MR. KAMAL MOHAN CHADHA (INDIA):

One thousand eight hundred seventy-nine (1,879) kilograms per hectare of rice production is the productivity as it stands today. So it has gone up from 670 or so in 50's. In the last 40 years, it has gone up to more than three time or so. So that is the increase in pro-