Question : AVAILABILITY OF VEGETABLES

(a) the availability and consumption of vegetables for domestic consumers during each of the last three years and the current year, item-wise and State-wise;

(b) the percentage of availability of vegetables to the total vegetable production in the country during the said period;

(c) whether the availability of vegetables has come down during the said period;

(d) if so, the reasons therefor;

(e) whether the State Government of Kerala has requested the Union Government for financial assistance for vegetable cultivation in the State; and

(f) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (SHRI ARUN YADAV)

(a): The total production of major vegetables available for domestic consumers during each of the last three years and the current year, item-wise and state-wise is given as Annexure-I. As per the surveys carried out by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau(NNMB) of Indian Council of Medical Research in Nine states, namely Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, during 2005-06 indicate that the average consumption of total vegetables is 125g/CU/day. This includes 16g of green leafy vegetables, 49g of other vegetables and 60g roots & tubers. One Consumption Unit (CU) is equivalent to energy requirement of one reference man, defined as a healthy adult male, aged between 20-39 years weighing 60kg and doing sedentary work. The details of survey are at Annexed II.

(b) to (d): The total production of vegetables during the last three years and current year has increased which has also resulted in its availability. The total production and percentage availability of vegetables is given in the table below:

2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	(Estimated)
Total production of	128448	129072	133545	141354
Vegetables (`000 MT)
% availability of vegetables	93.3	92.5	93.0	92.2