An Assessment of Food Security in Assam A Case Study of Lakhimpur District

Abstract

xv newlineABSTRACT newlinepeople, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious newlinefood to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy l newlineHence, food insecurity is the opposite situation of food security. The South Asian region is newlinehome to more chronically food insecure people than any other region in the world and newlineGlobal Hunger Index (2021) placed India in the 101st rank among 116 countries. newlineAccording to the India State Hunger Index (ISHI), the percentage of the undernourished newlinestates (Khan et al, 2021). newlinePresent research work intends to study the extent of household food security; identify the newlinedeterminants significantly influencing on household food security and examine the newlinefunctioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) in ensuring household food security. newlineFor this purpose, a case study has been done in the Lakhimpur district of Assam. As per newlinethe 2011 census, the Lakhimpur district has the second highest BPL family among all the newlinedistricts of the state. Moreover, the food grains production in the district is found newlinesignificantly low, due to perennial floods causing extensive damage to crops every year. newlineThe required data for the present study has been collected from both secondary and newlineprimary sources. On the basis of secondary data, it seeks to provide a clear picture of food newlineavailability and accessibility, the two major dimensions of food security. Again, primary newlinedata has been collected from the three selected blocks of the Lakhimpur district on the newlinebasis of the block having the highest percentage of households under the Below Poverty newlineLine (BPL); namely Dhakuakhana, Ghilamara, and Narayanpur block. For finding out the newlinelevel of food security from primary data, Per Capita per day Calorie Intake (PCCI) has newlinebeen employed. The calculated PCCI of the sample household has been compared with the newlinerequired calorie recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research (NIN, 2010). newlineHousehold with calorie intake above the recommended level has been taken as food secure newlineand otherwise food insecure. newlinexvi newlineIn terms of PCCI, 52.25 per cent of sample households have been found as food secure newlineacross the survey area. The highest percentage (57.31 per cent) of food-secure households newlinehave been found in the Narayanpur block, with an average intake of 3099 kcal per capita newlineper day. The lowest percentage (46.45 per cent) of food-secure households is found in the newlineDhakuakhana block, with an average intake of 3001 kcal per capita per day. Average newlinecalorie consumption among food insecure households has been found significantly low newlineacross the study area. The variation of calorie intake among food secure and food insecure newlinehouseholds are found highest in the Dhakuakhana block. The percentage of food-secure newlinehouseholds has been found highest in the General category and lowest among Schedule newlineCaste. Among different occupational categories, the level of household food security newlineamong daily wage labour is found lowest. The study indicated that food insecure newlinehouseholds are 23 per cent far off from the minimum level of calorie requirement. newlineThe result of the multiple regression analysis showed that the income of the household, the newlinepercentage contribution of foodgrains from own sources, educational attainment, and newlinenuclear family have a significant positive impact on the level of household food security. newlineThe coverage of the Public Distribution System across the study area has been found as newline69.47 per cent of the total sample households. It is quite impressive; among total newlinebeneficiary households Priority Household covered 64.23 per cent and Antyodaya Anna newlineYojana covered 35.77 per cent. But targeting is found defective and there have been found newlinefood insecure households among both beneficiary and non-beneficiary households. It is newlinefound that currently, PDS has been providing only two food items, i.e. rice and Atta across newlinethe study area. The distribution of Atta has been found irregular; out of the total newlinerequirements, only 23.59 per cent of rice and 34.22 per cent of Atta are met by PDS. newlineRegarding adequacy and quality of PDS items, the majority of the beneficiaries have been newlinefound dissatisfied. It has been found that there is acute food insecurity in the study area newlineboth in terms of quantity as well as quality. Moreover, production and access to newlinevegetables, fruits, and livestock products have not received as much attention as deserving, newlinethough such products are very crucial to food security. newline