239. Memorandum for the Record1
The President approved extension of the present food shipments to India for an additional 30 days. In doing so, however, he emphasized very strongly that we should make it clear to the Indians that we are not satisfied with their performance on their own agricultural program on their previous and existing commitments. He referred to a report he had received from Under Secretary Schnittker of the Department of Agriculture2 which emphasized that (a) India has failed to live up to a commitment to this Government and to her own people in failing to reach her food production goals (b) India is not giving fertilizer and food production nor the investment promised in her plans and required by her people (c) India’s key failures have been in fertilizer, pesticides, producer incentives, credit and seed varieties (d) fertilizer production is the crucial factor and (e) that the U.S. must use all possible leverage to improve India’s performance.
The President noted the fact that the U.S. has been sending to India 20% of our wheat production and that India’s relative position has been slipping back. These are matters which he will want to have some answers for and on which he believes the Indians should make some commitments with respect to actual performance.
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, AID (US) 15 INDIA. Confidential; Nodis. Prepared by Rusk.↩
- Schnittker’s memorandum to the President is dated October 23. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, India, Vol. IV, Memos and Miscellaneous, 9/65–1/66)↩