-PTI MUMBAI: The cost of production of paddy in Andhra Pradesh was higher than the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,080 per quintal in the last year mainly because of higher expenditure on wages, says the latest study undertaken by the RBI's research wing. Andhra Pradesh is one of the leading producing states in the country. The study, conducted by the Development Research Group (DRG) of RBI, also said the Commission for...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Foodgate: Massive failures of policy have dented markets for sugar and wheat
-The Economic Times While India frets about coal block allocations, massive policy failures have hit people where it hurts most: the stomach. While granaries are overflowing and sugar piling up, one would have expected the prices of sugar and flour to fall, or remain stable. Instead, since mid-July, wheat prices are up 20% across the country and flour prices have also shot up. For sugar, whose prices are up 12% from mid-July,...
More »Repeating a mistake
-The Business Standard Govt controls will raise prices of pulses and oilseeds The food and consumer affairs ministry has proposed that stockholding limits on pulses and edible oils be retained for another year beyond October. In addition, it wants these curbs extended to rice, too. This is misguided, and will cause more problems than it wants to resolve. Instead of controlling prices, as is intended, these restrictions on trade will instead...
More »A Bill that asks too much of the poor-Jean Drèze & Reetika Khera
-The Hindu Instead of rigid targeting, the government must build on the success of the public distribution system which is quietly becoming a significant means of social support In earlier writings, we have drawn attention to the quiet revival of the public distribution system (PDS) in many States during the last few years. Market prices of PDS commodities — mainly rice and wheat — have sharply increased, giving people a much greater...
More »Patients lose out to patents & profits -Deepa Kurup
-The Hindu A 2012 WHO study ranks India third — behind Myanmar and Bangladesh — among countries that fail to provide health cover to people. A 2011 study reported in The Lancet on ‘Healthcare and equity’ confirms this: every year, at least 39 million people here fall into poverty due to private out-of-pocket health expenditure. A vast majority of Indians do not have access to healthcare or essential drugs. By the...
More »