Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs KV Thomas 0n Friday attributed the rise in price of essential commodities to the lack of storage facilities in the country.
"It is true there is a rise in price in essential commodities. It is not because of shortage of production but the lack of storage facilities," he said at a function in Chennai.
He also said that leakages were being reported in the public distribution system (PDS) across the country. "Our PDS is weak. There is siphoning of 15 to 20 per cent in distribution of food grains in PDS across the country.
I'm not blaming any state but it is there across the country. We have to work towards the modernisation of PDS." Though the foodgrain production in the country is high, the nutrition value is not as expected, he said.
"Malnutrition is so high. Even countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are doing better. The nutritional value has to come up." On sugar production, he said it had stabilised in the past five years.
"The five-year cycle, wherein the first three years the production is so high to the extent we export sugar and in the last two years, the production is so low that we import sugar, is over.
In the last five years, the production of sugar in the country is stabilised," Thomas said. Stressing the need for more storage facilities, he said, "As per estimates, about 10 per cent of food grains and 30 per cent our horticulture produce, especially fruits and vegetables are wasted, mainly on account of poor storage/cold chain facilities at post harvest stages."
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