Fertile Punjab hit by hunger pangs: Report

CHANDIGARH: The food bowl of the country figures pathetically low on hunger index — a statistical tool to measure the state of countries' hunger situation. Punjab lies below 33 other developing countries ranked by Global Hunger Index.

Based on a publication by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, it was concluded that there is no link between economic progress and hunger.

The IFPRI report was presented at the ongoing 93rd annual conference of Indian Economic Association in Chandigarh. As per the report, Haryana, despite its impressive economic performance, also seems to have performed poorly in terms of reduction of hunger.

Prof Shenggen Fan, director general of IFPRI said, ''Economic growth is not necessarily associated with poverty reduction.

According to research, even the best-performing state like Punjab is very low in the index.''

Hunger is usually understood to refer to the discomfort associated with lack of food. Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN defines it specifically as consumption of fewer than about 1,800 kilocalories a day, the minimum that most people require to live a healthy and productive life.

Fan said Punjab has not translated its economic growth into nutrition. The state needs to diversify its fruits and vegetable production. "There is an urgent requirement of linking the traders directly with the farmers so that the quality and freshness of the food is enhanced. This link between traders and farmers can be through formation of association of farmers," he said.

As per the published report of 2008, not a single state, out of 17 surveyed in India falls in the low hunger or moderate hunger category.