-Society for Social and Economic Research Monograph 20/3 Key Messages Lack of planning and preparation by the Central government for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a massive blow to India’s economy and has caused enormous hardships to working people of the country. Harvesting of Rabi crops • Unplanned and sudden imposition of the lockdown resulted in a massive and unprecedented disruption to agricultural activities such as harvesting, sale of agricultural produce, and purchase...

-Hindustan Times India has moved from a food-scarce economy to a net exporter of food. However, food production does not guarantee food security. Affordability is what matters. New Delhi: The government has announced major agricultural policy changes as part of the economic package it has unveiled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. These include deregulation of farm foods from the Essential Commodities Act (ECA). Farmers have also been allowed to sell...

-The Indian Express India’s premier farm research and education institute has a full-time director after nearly four years. It is an institution whose blockbuster varieties account for more than 95% of the country’s Rs 32,800-crore annual basmati Rice export revenues, nearly half of its total wheat area, and a quarter of that sown under mustard. Yet, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI, better known as Pusa Institute) has an annual research budget...

-The Indian Express Rice exporters alone are said to be stuck with receivables of Rs 800-900 crore against shipments made till June 2019. A major hit to India from the uncertainty triggered by the assassination of Iran’s most powerful military commander could be to its multi-billion dollar basmati Rice export industry. The Islamic republic accounted for $1.56 billion (Rs 10,790.02 crore) out of India’s total $4.71 billion (Rs 32,804.30 crore) worth of...

-PTI India exports about 3 lakh tonnes of basmati rice to the European Union Indian Rice exporters will now have to obtain a certification of inspection from a government agency to ship both the basmati and non-basmati varieties to countries of the European Union (EU). “Export of rice (basmati and non-basmati) to European Union (EU) countries will require certificate of inspection from Export Inspection Council/Export Inspection Agency with immediate effect,” directorate general of...