STATUS OF FOOD SECURITY AND ITS DETERMINANTS IN RAYALASEEMA REGION, ANDHRA PRADESH

Abstract

Public Distribution System in India is regarded as one of the most important constituent in food policy and food security system. It is supporting and protecting the vulnerable segment of population. The availability of food grains is not a sufficient condition to ensure food security to the poor in India. It is well documented that most poor families in the world spend nearly 80 percent of their total income on food grains. Hence, it is necessary to give priority to food security problem and factors governing food security at household level in the present scenario. In this background, the present study explores the average monthly consumption expenditure of the households followed by the assessment of food security situation among sample households in Rayalaseema region (Ananthapur district), Andhra Pradesh. A multiple regression technique was used to find out the determinants of food security at household level.  The study found 62.9 percent of the variations in food security index are explained by the explanatory variables in Rayalaseema region, Andhra Pradesh.