The only way forward to address the issue of food for all is to pay attention to the much neglected supply-side. Strengthening the farm production base and raising productivity by all possible ways and means must now become a national priority in the ensuing twelfth Five Year Plan. This calls for a combination of visionary and committed leadership with political will to address issues of our rain dependent farming system, predominance of small unviable holdings and tenant farmers, and extremely weak rural infrastructure to sustain farm development. This necessitates assessment and mobilization of financial, technological and human resources. Decision-making within the Government must become more market-savvy that calls for a certain level of de-bureaucratizing and taking the industry and trade on board in policy formulation.
