Vajpayee: India is committed to the WTO

Countering recent criticism of the impact of the WTO agreement - which India signed a few months ago - on the country's farmers, Mr Vajpayee said the farming industry's interests would be protected.

The prime minister said discussions with the WTO were still continuing and that India would push for "a level playing-field" in global trade to ensure that domestic producers do not suffer.

Mr Vajpayee also called for an urgent action plan to decentralise food distribution to ensure that people living in extreme poverty would have better access to food.

Stocks stay in

At the moment the federal government spends a huge amount of money to obtain and subsidise farm produce.

Food is running out in drought-hit areas

Critics also point out that a weak distribution system results in a lot of the food being stored in warehouses even as parts of the country suffer food shortages.

Food worth nearly $11 billion lies in warehouses waiting to be distributed.

Experts have warned that India needs to adopt an effective food management policy to feed its growing population, which has already crossed the one billion mark.

They say the country must increase production because surplus food stocks do not mean there is enough food for everyone.

The government is said to lack adequate storage facilities and nearly 30% of the population does not have the capacity to buy enough food.