‘Agriculture’ is the backbone of the country. There is no history of any country protecting agriculture and farmers falling. But if there is a situation where agriculture and farmers die, the country will fall. This is history. If those in supreme power sell the country for money and impose various restrictions on the agricultural industry, they will have to squander the property. That is the situation in many parts of the world. Hunger and food insecurity are on the rise in more than 50 countries around the world. The obvious victims are Sri Lanka and Pakistan. At present, more than 60 lakh people in these countries are suffering from malnutrition.
Civilization among human beings was born only after the birth of agriculture. The farmer is the one who plows to satisfy the hunger of the people without any expectation and without looking at profit. Every drop of the sweat of the peasants quenches the appetite of the first-born millionaires and the ruling class in the country. Despite the technological advances and the economic competition with the rest of the world, the power of agriculture cannot be avoided. In the present modern world where ‘life is a wheel’ destroys arable lands, corporates set up aerial buildings and look for a lot of money on hand, but one day the horror of the famine will only know when the farmer is awesome. That situation has now occurred worldwide. When any country does not listen to the cries of the peasants, one day it will shed tears and reach out to its neighbors. The best examples are neighboring Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
50 lakh people
The country is almost bankrupt due to the severe economic crisis in Sri Lanka, the unprecedented decline in foreign exchange, the impact on domestic production, the freezing of the agricultural industry and the cruelty of having no money to import. Neighboring countries are reaching out to the International Monetary Fund for all needs. Extreme levels of hunger and starvation have been warned in Sri Lanka in September. Production of various food items, including rice, has been paralyzed in Sri Lanka since last April, when chemical fertilizers were banned. As a result, there is a shortage of rice in Sri Lanka. Import People are suffering from hunger and starvation due to lack of foreign exchange. A two-course meal is rarely a variable. In Sri Lanka, with a population of about 2.2 crore, 50 lakh people are suffering from malnutrition.
Army in agriculture
To overcome the food crisis, the Sri Lankan military has embarked on a mission to increase food production by cultivating 1,500 acres of barren, abandoned government land. All the security forces headquarters and organizations across the country are fully engaged in agricultural work. Similarly, government employees are given one week off and are instructed to do agricultural work.
Freeze in Pakistan too
The situation is almost the same in Pakistan. However, the vulnerability is slightly lower in terms of population. The reality is that the situation is not far off when Pakistan will become Sri Lanka if this situation continues. Prices have risen due to the severe economic crisis in Pakistan. Cotton, rice, wheat and fruits are the major crops grown in Pakistan. It is also exported abroad. However, at present the agricultural industry is severely paralyzed. Thus, Pakistan is stuck in an economic crisis, without food shortages. About 10 lakh people are suffering from malnutrition in 3 places including Pakistan’s Sindh province.
19 crore people …
The Global Report on Food Crisis 2022 indicates that global hunger levels are at risk. Between 2016-2021, the number of people affected by the food insecurity crisis in 53 countries increased from 10.8 crore to 19.3 crore. In particular, statistics show that more than 4.3 crore people in 38 countries are at risk of dying from famine or severe food crisis if they do not receive immediate life-saving support. The Ukraine-Russia war has exacerbated these vulnerabilities, which are already increasing. World inflation has been plagued by a variety of factors, including a sharp rise in prices, and a ban on exports and imports. The enlightened America is reeling. As inflation rises to levels not seen in 40 years, prices have risen.
Awesome when suffering
Similarly, there has been a crisis in various rich countries, including Britain. You can live without luxury, you can never live without food. That is, whether he is a tycoon … whether he is a millionaire … whether he is a laborer … as long as there is food, the farmers do not know the beauty and hard work. The word farmer appears to be pronounced only when one day he suffers without that food. Today the status quo of looking at God, as a worker, as an employer, as a hungry farmer has changed. Affected countries are now realizing this. The status of ‘God is the boss, the worker who found … the farmer ….’ should run in every mind. Farmers are being forced to accept the pledge that agriculture will not perish and that they will not shed tears.
Food crisis top 10 countries
Pakistan is among the top 10 countries in the world facing food crisis. The 10 countries most affected by the food crisis are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Yemen, northern Nigeria, the Syrian Arab Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Pakistan and Haiti.
Increased vulnerability in children
Children and pregnant women are suffering from malnutrition due to food crisis in Pakistan. This is becoming a major public health problem. In Sindh province, between April 2021 and February 2022, 6,36,000 children under the age of 5 and 38,000 pregnant and lactating women were suffering from severe malnutrition. In Larkana district 12.3%, in Thando Allah Yaar and Thando Muhammad Khan districts 5%, in Umerkot district 1,05,750, in Kamber Shatkot 95,420 and in Shikarpur districts 70,471 children were affected.
The rise in prices is staggering
As of June 1, 2022, the agricultural price index has fallen by 5% in the last two weeks, but is up 40% compared to January 2021. Compared to January 2021, corn and wheat prices are 42% and 60% higher, respectively. Rice prices are 12% lower. Global food, fuel and fertilizer prices are likely to fall somewhat in 2023. But before that it is predicted to increase sharply in 2022.
Excessive food inflation
Between January and April 2022, most countries experienced food inflation of more than 5 percent. Many countries have hit a double standard. Food inflation in 70 percent of countries is higher than overall inflation. Due to the Ukraine-Russia war, food insecurity and food inflation are likely to increase further by the end of 2024.
Next Turkey …
Turkey is on the list of countries facing the worst economic crisis in the world, including Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Venezuela. Turkey’s annual inflation rate is at 61.14 percent, the highest in 20 years. People have been hit hard by the sharp rise in prices of essential commodities. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has led to a severe shortage of crude oil and gas in Turkey. Its price has also gone up. The value of the Turkish currency, the lira, has plummeted.
Cut down on drinking tea ….
Sri Lanka is famous for its tea estates. Russia is the largest importer of tea from Sri Lanka. The tea plantation industry has been completely paralyzed for the past 2 years due to the corona infection. Pakistan is the largest tea drinker in the world. Pakistan is the largest importer of tea in the world. In the last financial year alone, it imported tea worth Rs 8,000 crore. All of this amount has been borrowed. Thus, the government of Pakistan has asked its compatriots to reduce their daily tea consumption by 1 or 2 cups to avoid borrowing and importing tea.
Pakistan asking for credit by sending goats as gifts
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has gifted 100 sheep to the United Arab Emirates in the hope of changing his mind and giving him gifts. It is learned that the Cabinet has approved this decision. It is noteworthy that in 2020, Pakistan banned the export of live animals.
Fertilizer prices go up by 3 times
In the coming months, there will be a shortage of fertilizer that could affect food production in many parts of the world. Overcoming this problem will be the biggest challenge. Worldwide fertilizer prices soared last March, rising almost 20% since January 2022, more than three times what they were last year. Russia and Belarus are major fertilizer exporters.
Farmers are also soldiers
Millions of farmers have lost their lives due to crop failure due to drought and natural calamities. Every player to defend the country, forgets the family, loses happiness and fights with the quality mantra that the motherland is important. When the farmer loses all his property to satisfy the hunger of every citizen and the crops of debt silk are ruined, they lose their lives without being able to continue farming. The peasants are the warriors who will defend the country as long as their heirs and the people build and maintain agriculture without leaving agriculture no matter what happens.
Top 20 countries in agriculture
The United States is the largest producer of wheat, rice, oil, sugarcane, coconut, vegetables and maize, followed by China and India.
1. USA
2. China
3. Brazil
4. Argentina
5. India
6. France
7. Russia
8. Germany
9. Romania
10. England
11. Nigeria
12. Italy
13. Ethiopia
14. South Africa
15. Indonesia
16. Tanzania
17. Egypt
18. Philippines
19. Vietnam
20. Belarus