Commodity Online

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday expressed concern at the increasing use of foodgrains for production of bio fuels.

Stating India s position at the Third International Grain Summit 2008 at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Minister of State for Food and Public Distribution Dr. Akhilesh Prasad Singh elaborated that this has resulted in unprecedented increase in their prices making the foodgrains unaffordable for poor population of the world.

Dr Singh is leading six member high level Indian delegation. Critical issues concerning the global and special food security are being discussed at the Summit.

In his keynote address at the summit, Dr Singh highlighted the challenges facing the Indian Government in ensuring food security for its population. He informed the summit that efforts were being made to raise the annual production of foodgrains in the country from 2010 million tonnes to 232.50 million tonnes in the next 5 years.

He further informed that the Indian Government is hopeful of procuring enough wheat for its Public Distribution System from the domestic supplies.

The Summit is being attended by Mr. Andrey Slepnev, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Russia, Mr. Arkadiy Zlochevsky, President Russian Grain Union, Mr. Abbassian Abdolreza, Representative of FAO and Mr. Hesham Fathy Ragab, Vice Minister of Trade and Industry, Egypt.

Dr. Akhilesh Prasad Singh also met Russian Deputy Agriculture Minister Mr. Andrey Slepnev today to discuss bilateral cooperation in field of Agriculture with special emphasis on international wheat scenario.

Egypt India