PDS: Role in Food Fortification
ILSI Workshop, New Delhi
8th Jan2011
Dr. Prakash V Kotecha
Country Representative,
A2Z, the USAID Micronutrient Project, AED
New Delhi, India
Micronutrient Malnutrition
• Minimal loss to GDP due to Micronutrient
deficiencies per year: Rs 27,720 crores *
• People affected to the highest level are from low
socio-economic condition.
• They suffer the most but have the least resources
and so to reach them a special targeted effort is
required
• PDS exactly wants to do this: reach to targeted poor
people with poor access and that is why PDS has
important role in supplying fortified foods.
*Source: India Micronutrient investment Plan 2007-2011 MI Publication
Kotecha, AED, India
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Micronutrient Malnutrition
• In National Sample Surveys, the percentage of
people claiming to be hungry has fallen steadily
from 15% in 1983 to 2% in 2004-5.
• The big problem is malnutrition, not hunger.
Anemia among pregnant women at 58% and
children at 79%, these are not all hungry
subjects…
• Economists Dreze and Deaton have shown that as
incomes rise, poorer Indians opt for superior
foods rather than more calories
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NNMB Study Iron Intake % RDA
Age
n
Iron <50
1-3yrs
2673
72.1
4-6yrs
2406
70.7
7-9yrs
2399
76.2
Boys 10-12yrs
1227
80.7
Girls 10-12yrs
1218
77.5
Boys 13-15yrs
921
79.6
Girls 13-15yrs
921
68
Boys 16-17yrs
1396
73.3
Girls 16-17yrs
1889
71.2
Adult Male
2771
50.1
Adult Female
4799
67.9
Pregnant Female
188
68.1
Lactating Female
668
71.1
Kotecha, AED, India
Poverty Level In India
Source: What Is Poverty, Really? The Case of India by Carl Haub and O P Sharma
Kotecha, AED,
India
Jan 2010 Article on Population Reference
Bureau
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Public Distribution System
• Started in 1960s it was for everyone till 1992
when it was tried for tribal blocks of far and
difficult areas to improve the reach and in
1997 it was made targeted to poor people
• State Government responsibility to identify
poor and ensure that they get the benefit
• When started it aimed for 6 crore (60 million)
people with 72 lakh tones of grains
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Public Distribution System
•
•
•
•
PDS means distribution of essential
commodities to a large number of people
through a network of FPS on a recurring basis.
The commodities are as follows :Wheat
Rice
Sugar
Kerosene
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Public Distribution System in India
PDS evolved - major instrument of the
Government’s economic policy for ensuring
availability of foodgrains at affordable prices
It is an important strategy for poverty
eradication and is intended to serve as a
safety net for the poor nutritionally at risk.
PDS with a network of large number of Fair
Price Shops (FPS) is perhaps the largest
distribution network of its type in the world.
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Public Distribution System in India
• PDS is operated under the joint responsibility of
the Central and the State Governments.
• The Central Government responsibility for
procurement, storage, transportation and bulk
allocation of foodgrains,
• The State Governments responsibility
– For distributing the same to the consumers through
the network of Fair Price Shops (FPSs).
– The operational responsibilities including allocation
within the State, identification of families below
poverty line, issue of ration cards, supervision and
monitoring the functioning of FPSs.
Kotecha, AED, India
Public Distribution System
ANTYODAYA ANNA YOJANA (AAY)
• In order to make TPDS more focused and
targeted towards this category of population,
the “Antyodaya Anna Yojana” (AAY) was
launched in December, 2000 for one crore
poorest of the poor families (increased in by
2009 2.5 crore people)
• Providing them food grains at a highly
subsidized rate of Rs.2/ per kg. for wheat and
Rs. 3/ per kg for rice.
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Role of PDS in Fortification
• Common goal to reach poor and hard to reach
people at an affordable cost
• System in place and we need to piggy back
• Supply fortified atta in place of grains is all that
we need to do
• Wheat fortification most practical fortified with
iron, folic acid, vitamin A, (iodine), in that priority.
• Rice fortification and sugar fortification are also
promising
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2010
Quantity: 245,344 MT/month
Population: 44.52 millions
West Bengal
Punjab
Gujarat
Chandigarh
Delhi
Tamil Nadu
Kerala
Rajasthan
Madhya Pradesh
Bihar
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FLOUR FORTIFICATION SUCCESS STORY
• One state (Tamil Nadu) with mandatory
fortification
• The projected quantity of fortified flour
distribution by end of 2010 would be
approx.3,20,344 MT/ month
• Approx. 75 million population in India will have
the access of fortified wheat flour by the end of
2010
Kotecha, AED, India
Flour Fortification Progress
Since 2000:
• 44.5 million people now have access to fortified flour
from 1 million in 2000.
• Larger proportion of market flour is now fortified
than before
• The number of states with wheat flour fortification
increased from 4 (2008) to 10 (2010).
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Challenges of Fortification in PDS
• PDS for really poor people?
• Fight corruption and ensure that the real targeted
population gets it is. Ensure that it is not recirculated in the open market
• Who would bear the cost?
• How shall the quality will be maintained?
• Technology Transfer to Appropriate authority
• Accountability between Civil Supply, Health,
Social Welfare, whose jurisdiction?
• Should it be mandatory?
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Challenges of Fortification
Technical Aspects
• What food to fortify?
• What nutrient to use for fortification? Iron being
the common most… many options available
• Most of the wheat atta are not produced
centrally and so small chakkis will have to be
involved extensively
• How much amount of nutrient elements:
depends upon the available dietary source that is
so variable in Indian population
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Thank You
Kotecha, AED, India