Changing Cereal Consumption in Indian States: A Concern for Food Security

Based on the data from four major quin-quennial rounds of the National Sample Surveys on the Household Consumption Expenditure in India during 1993–94 to 2009–10, the present study has examined the changes in pattern of food consumption across major Indian states in rural and urban areas. The study has revealed a considerable decline in monthly per-capita consumption of cereals from 13.40 kg to 11.35 kg in rural India and from 10.60 kg to 9.39 kg in urban India during 1993–94 to 2009–10. In rural areas, the state of Karnataka registered the maximum decline of 23.66 per cent while Assam registered the minimum decline of 4.03 per cent. In urban areas, the maximum decline was observed in West Bengal (18.41%) and the minimum decline was again in Assam (2.17%). The analysis of correlation between productivity of foodgrains and rate of decline in cereals consumption has reflected a positive correlation in rural as well as urban India. The study has also observed that decline in cereals consumption has been accompanied by a significant shift in favour of high-value foods.