-Down to Earth Modi government’s attempt at rationalising prices of forest products is likely to hit Adivasi farmers the most At the time when there has been demand for increasing the minimum support prices for various agricultural products, the NDA government has gone ahead and slashed the prices of forest produce on which livelihoods of several forest-dwelling tribes depend. Stating the need to rationalise the minimum support price (MSP) as they...
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Utsa Patnaik, professor emeritus at Jawaharlal Nehru University, interviewed by TK Rajalakshmi
-Frontline.in Interview with Utsa Patnaik, professor emerita of economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University. By T.K. RAJALAKSHMI THE FALLOUT of the decision of the National Democratic Alliance government to demonetise currency of higher denominations has been felt across all sections of people. There are concerns that it will lead to an overall economic slowdown given the acute shortage of currency for industrial and agricultural operations. The impact on agriculture and those dependent on agriculture...
More »Cheque payments making farmers' lives more difficult -Madhvi Sally & Jayashree Bhosale
-The Economic Times NEW DELHI | PUNE: Post demonetisation, Manjit Singh, a farmer in Punjab, is grappling with a new financial reality — a queer mix of debit and credit in cashstarved villages where farmers are beginning to get some payments in cheques while their suppliers want currency notes. The vegetable and paddy farmer from Malerkotla is yet to receive Rs 35,000 from commission agents who took his produce. He has bought...
More »For agri input providers, rising crop acreages is bittersweet news -R Sree Ram
-Livemint.com While the good news is that crop acreages are not hit, the bad news is that the cash crunch is impacting sales—if this lasts long, demand destruction can be severe The winter or rabi crop sowing has gathered pace after a setback. The past two readings from the ministry of agriculture show crop sowing growth of 4-8% from the year-ago levels. In the first week after demonetisation, sowing dropped 0.7%. Sowing has now...
More »Validation of India's drug patent policy -Latha Jishnu
-Down to Earth A high level UN panel on Access to Medicines wants members to make full use of TRIPS flexibilities to protect public health If ever India needed a clear endorsement of its laws on intellectual property rights (IPRs) and their application in meeting public health priorities, it has come from the highest quarters. The report of the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel (HLP) on Access to Medicines has, directly...
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