THE BLAME GAME: AG MINISTER ON DEFENSE OVER HIGH FOOD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 000188 STATE FOR SCA/INSB, EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT, C-CHUANG USDOC FOR ITA/MAC DAS HVINEYARD USDOC FOR 4530/ITA/MAC/OSA/LDROKER/ASTERN USDA PASS U/S MILLER AND FAS/OCRA/RADLER/BEAN/FERUS DEPT PASS TO USTR FOR SOUTH ASIA - MDELANEY/CLILIENFELD/AADLER DEPT PASS TO TREASURY FOR OFFICE OF SOUTH ASIA - MNUGENT/WFOSTER TREASURY PASS TO FRB SAN FRANCISCO/TERESA CURRAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECON EAID EFIN ECIN EINV SENV PGOV IN SUBJECT: THE BLAME GAME: AG MINISTER ON DEFENSE OVER HIGH FOOD PRICES REF: A. MUMBAI 00130 ¶B. NEW DELHI 02482 ¶C. NEW DELHI 02515 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The national concern about continuing high food prices has grown increasingly political as the allied Congress Party has joined the opposition in criticizing Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Minister of Agriculture Sharad Pawar for failing to stem rising food inflation. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other opposition parties have seized upon Minister Pawar's remarks about a potential rise in milk prices, focusing criticism on the central government's lack of coordination and failure to reduce the misery of the "common man" with respect to high food prices. Although the GOI has taken some measures to curb food prices, it has not yet introduced significant structural or policy reforms that would reduce supply constraints or improve agricultural productivity. Bogged down with rhetorical battles, maintaining extraordinary barriers to food imports (except for essential commodities) and unable to motivate states to improve agricultural productivity, the GOI continues to struggle to contain domestic food price inflation. End Summary. Crying Over Spilled Milk -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On January 20, Minister of Agriculture Sharad Pawar, added fuel to the already heated discussion centered around the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's management of rising food prices. In a speech to a conference of state ministers of dairy and animal husbandry, the minister suggested that a shortage of milk may cause a supply-demand mismatch, resulting in a rise in milk prices in the "near future." Pawar's remarks triggered a new round of criticisms from opposition parties regarding his mismanagement of high food inflation. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati called for the Prime Minister to fire Pawar for the "irresponsible remark." During a meeting with Prime Minister Singh, BJP leaders accused the central government of adopting a "do nothing" approach to food price inflation. Although Pawar later dismissed the suggestion that he was in favor of rising milk prices, his comments had already provoked opponents. Congress Distances Itself -------------- ¶3. (SBU) As political opponents denounce Pawar, the Congress Party has quietly distanced itself from the NCP leader. (Note: The NCP is a faction of the Congress Party that formally split from Congress in 1999, when several politicians, including Pawar, disputed Sonia Gandhi's claim to the Prime Ministership of the country due to her foreign origin. Relations between the Congress Party and the NCP have always been a bit testy due to their competition for control of the state of Maharashtra. Although the NCP considers itself to be a moderate and centrist national party, its political base is largely confined to Maharastra. See Reftel A for more background. End Note.) Spokespersons for the Congress Party have reminded the media that "there is a coalition government... It is not a Congress government," drawing distinctions between their party and the Agriculture Minister. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters that those responsible for presenting "the problem" would also have to come up with a "solution." On January 25, some members of the Congress Party went a step further, requesting that Minister Pawar's twin ministerial portfolio, which includes the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, be split as it brings about a conflict of interest between producers and consumers. A Congress Working Committee meeting will be held in February to provide an opportunity for party leaders to discuss the issue. Pawar Points Finger -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In response to sharp criticism for rising food prices, Minister Pawar deflected blame, noting that he is "not the only person involved in this process (of setting prices)." He reminded reporters that the Prime Minister and Cabinet decide price policy, and that decisions on commodity prices are a collective responsibility. On January 25, Pawar clarified that he had not meant to criticize the Prime Minister. The BJP had already seized on the hint of division, drawing attention to Pawar's "shifting the NEW DELHI 00000188 002 OF 004 blame" for the rising prices to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The BJP called on the Prime Minister and Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi to provide an explanation for food price inflation. ¶5. (SBU) Throughout the debate on food prices, both the Congress Party and Pawar have urged state governments to crack down on black marketers and hoarders. Pawar lambasted state governments for not doing enough to boost productivity, stating "I cannot understand why states are not taking funds for dairy development. There are funds lying idle." The Cabinet Moves to Curb Food Prices -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Amid the finger-wagging, the Cabinet Committee on Prices (CCP),the central government body designated to address food prices, approved several measures in mid-January aimed to contain food inflation. The committee approved the release of three million tons of stockpiled wheat into the open market throughout February and March, before the new marketing season begins (the rabi or winter crop is expected at the end of March),which the GOI hopes will lower prices and clear space for the new crops arriving. An additional 700,000 tons of wheat and rice are to be distributed through government marketing institutions, such as the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd, a federation of consumer cooperatives. While these measures will raise the amount of wheat and rice in the open market, the GOI continues to sit on record stocks of both wheat and rice, well above the usual government buffer stocks. The CCP also pushed for state governments to check hoarding and conduct more raids on black marketers under the Essential Commodities Act. ¶7. (SBU) To lower sugar prices, the committee extended the zero duty on sugar imports through the end of December 2010, and allowed millers in Uttar Pradesh (UP) to process imported raw sugar in other states (the UP government banned the entry of imported sugar into the state through March in response to farmers' protests over cane pricing). At a meeting with sugar industry representatives on January 27, the Prime Minister endorsed a CCP proposal to allow refineries and mills importing sugar to sell their imports and contract processing with other mills. The provision, directed at UP sugar millers, supposedly will allow for faster processing of sugar to fill the gap between supply and demand. (Note: Pawar's power base in Maharastra is almost exclusively among sugar barons of western Maharashtra, where most of the country's sugar cane is grown. Therefore his supporters would have strongly resisted any changes in sugar policies, especially imports, as that would have eliminated their windfall profits. Pawar resisted changes in policy for several months, but ultimately was forced to capitulate. See Reftel A for more background. End Note.) The Truth about Milk and Sugar -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Beyond the political maelstrom created by Pawar's comments, there is genuine concern that India will face a shortage of milk products due to rising demand. According to figures released by the National Sample Survey, Indian consumption patterns are changing to incorporate more high-value foods, including eggs, fish, and meat and milk products. Coupled with an increase in export opportunities, demand for milk products is reportedly outpacing increases in production. Another industry source, the Dairy India 2007 report, claims the sector is growing by less than three percent annually, while consumption continues to rise. Overall, even as Indian milk output is rising, demand for milk products is increasing even faster due to changing food patterns within India's growing middle class. Milk prices have already risen 13 percent since March 2009, as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI). The likely result of the supply demand mismatch is an additional increase in the price of milk and milk products. (Comment: State intervention in the dairy sector via state-run cooperatives is strong in setting prices, weakening demand signals that would prompt farmers to increase productivity. End Comment.) The case of sugar is similar: demand, which is expected to be 23 million tons, exceeds expected domestic supply by about seven million tons. The Ministry of Agriculture estimated that 5.6 million tons of sugar were contracted for import; however, concerns remain that the imports will not augment supply enough to meet high demand. NEW DELHI 00000188 003 OF 004 Food Price Impact on Wholesale Price Inflation and GDP Growth -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Aside from the political debate, food prices have had a considerable impact on overall inflation. With food prices remaining high, the wholesale price inflation stood at 7.31 percent for December 2009, exceeding the Reserve Bank of India's target of 6.5 percent for the fiscal year. Food inflation stood at 17.4 percent for the week ending January 16 since reaching an 11-year record high in December at 19.83 percent (Reftels B and C). Chief Statistician and Secretary at the Ministry of Statistics Pronab Sen estimates that wholesale price inflation for the fiscal year (ending March 31) will likely hit nine percent, barring any dramatic reduction in agricultural prices. Sen also estimates that projections higher than seven percent for 2009-10 GDP are incorrect and that farm production may dip by six to seven percent in the third quarter due to the sporadic monsoon. The lower agricultural output in the third quarter will bring, according to Sen, GDP growth figures between 6 and 6.5 percent for the third quarter, keeping annual GDP growth below seven percent. President Patil Links Food Prices with Need for "Second Green Revolution" -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) In her Republic Day address, President Patil called for "urgent steps towards a Second Green Revolution." Her address focused on the need to increase and improve agricultural productivity and linked the rise of global demand for grains with rising prices at home. Patil advocated for increased farm productivity through a second Green Revolution and suggested that the time had come to think "out of the box" to lower prices. Patil urged India to explore partnerships between industry and agriculture, specifying that the country's food processing industry, if located in agricultural areas, could "transform India's rural landscape." (Comment: Although private investment in food processing would potentially promote rural development, Patil's argument ignores primary barriers to rural investment including lack of infrastructure, basic roads, electricity, internet and other essential public services that would be necessary to support food processing industry. End Comment.) Patil also barely hinted at the ongoing debate in India on biotechnology, noting that "there should be use of new technologies, better seeds, and improved farming practices." (Note: The GOI is currently holding public hearings before issuing final approval for Bt Brinjal. End Note.) The Blame Game and Broader Implications for Food Security -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Comment: Arguing over who is to blame for food price inflation has taken on increased significance over the past couple of weeks, providing a glimpse of internal divisions within the GOI, the highly political nature of food policies and also a clearer understanding of India's struggle to deal with domestic food security.. The absence of the Congress Party's strong support for Minister Pawar, a key figure in pushing forward on agricultural policies and reforms, may be a signal of difficulties down the road for the Ministry of Agriculture. Pawar's remarks on milk prices demonstrate that any comments related to agriculture and food policy are potentially explosive. While the central government's measures target containment of prices of essential commodities, the measures offered do little in terms of the easiest fix -- the release of government stocks -- and do not actually address systemic and structural constraints on supply and improved agricultural productivity. ¶12. (SBU) The political fallout related to food prices also demonstrates the difficulty the central government has implementing policy changes on matters that are predominantly under the authority of state governments. Further, as Indian officials became more and more concerned with rising food prices, their reaction has been to tighten borders. Thus, at present, no wheat, rice (except expensive basmati),vegetable oil or other essential food commodities can be exported. This has had a negative regional impact on food security, as neighboring countries, which also face supply-side constraints, are unable to purchase food staples from India. Overall, India's NEW DELHI 00000188 004 OF 004 difficulty containing domestic food price inflation will likely remain a dominant political and economic issue and may limit the GOI's ability to engage constructively on regional food security issues. End Comment. ROEMER