Sugar is another food essential. India is the
largest producer of sugar cane in the world. But we
are the smallest consumer. A Britisher consumes 112
Ibs of sugar per year, an American 103 Ibs, a Japanese
29 Ibs, an Indian only 20 Ibs. per year inclusive of gur.
Our total production of sugar, refined and unrefined, is
5.3 million tons.
An overall picture will still better illustrate the
position of food supply in British India.
Yield of food
, (in million tons.)
Rice. Wheat. All food grains (1031)
and pulses. Population.
1629-30 .. 25.5 8.9 49.1 256.9 mn.
1939-40 .. 24.6 8.9 47.2 295.8 „
% of increase
or decrease .. —3.7 .. —3.9 4-15.2
While population increases, food supply decreases.
The area under grains and pulses has been on the
increase but the quantity of foodgrains and pulses
per head has decreased.
Area under Grains
(million acres.)
Year. Rice. Wheat. All.
•1929-30 .. 66.5 24.7 155.9
1939-40 .. 70.1 26.1 158.2
% of increase .. +5.6 +5.5 +1.5
WORSE THAN CONVICTS
A comparative study of the daily consumption of
food per adult male in the homes of free industrial
workers and in prisons in Bombay will show that the
consumption standard of an industrial worker in Bom-
bay is lower than that of convicts in jaiL
57