-The Indian Express Last week, India and the US reached an understanding on working out a "permanent solution" to the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The deal is seen as a breakthrough, ending the impasse that had stalled the implementation of a landmark Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) hammered out at the WTO's ministerial conference in Bali last December. * What is this deal...
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Cash transfers can save Rs 30,000 crore per year in food subsidies: Shanta Kumar -Dipak K Dash & Surojit Gupta
-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Conditional cash transfer instead of providing grains at subsidized rates to the poor under the Food Security Act can save at least Rs 30,000 crore annually, said Shanta Kumar, chairman of a panel set up to revamp the state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI). Kumar said linking cash transfer to conditions such as constructing toilets was one of the several options being considered to ensure every...
More »FCI finally gets leeway in grain storage -Sanjeeb Mukherjee
-Business Standard Total physical stock as on November 1 was 43 mt against the total covered storage capacity of 55 mt For the first time in many years, foodgrain stocks in the central pool are much less than the entire covered storage capacity available with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), thanks to some reduction in procurement and efficient management. This, as some officials said, effectively means the bulk of the rice procured...
More »India, US resolve WTO food security row -Remya Nair and Elizabeth Roche
-Livemint India, US resolve differences over public stockholding for food security, clearing way for WTO trade facilitation deal New Delhi: India and the US have resolved differences over public stockholding of foodgrains with the US agreeing to an indefinite "peace clause" pending a permanent settlement-a development that makes possible the most significant global deal since the 1990s. US support for the massive public food stockholding programme also signals a political victory for...
More »WTO Talks Inconclusive, Discussion to Continue
-Outlook Geneva: With India sticking to its tough stand, efforts to break the impasse in the WTO on trade facilitation agreement and food security issues today proved futile and further consultations will continue over the week. The General Council of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which met after a gap of over two months, could not make much headway. "I will be holding a series of meetings in a range of different configurations....
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