-The Times of India Milk prices are set to soar yet again. Rising inflation and increase in excise duty on packaging material for milk pouches are likely to make milk dearer by Rs 2 per litre, said R S Sodhi, managing director of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets Amul milk across the country. While he did not say when the price hike will come into effect, sources said...

Dairy farmers and contractors in western Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are on a warpath after private milk companies reduced procurement prices to take advantage of a bumper milk production. Farmers allege that companies are profiteering because they have not simultaneously reduced consumer prices. But companies say they have huge stocks of unsold milk and milk powder and a cut in procurement prices is to bring pressure on government to allow exports.  Cooperatives...

To banish hunger and malnutrition from the country, Parliament is likely to pass the National Food Security Bill (NFSB). In our earlier article on this issue, Can we Afford Rs 6-Lakh-Cr Food Subsidy Bill in 3 Yrs? (ET, December 17, 2011), we concentrated on the likely financial implication that we estimated at roughly Rs 6,00,000 crore over a period of three years. In this piece, we address the operational challenges...

The central government claims that allowing foreign direct investment into India’s retail sector will benefit small farmers, expand employment and lower food inflation. What has been the experience in India with organised retail so far and what has been the global experience with FDI? Sukhpal Singh (sukhpal@iegindia.org) is currently at the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi. After being under relentless attack for a week, the United Progressiv Alliance government was forced to...

At BANCON (annual bankers' conference) 2011 in Chennai, financial institutions explored avenues for greater participation in agriculture and rural development. There are a few areas in need of additional attention and investment. Green Revolution technologies are scale-neutral but not resource-neutral. Inputs are needed for output; therefore market-purchased inputs become important in providing soil and plant healthcare for higher yields. Social scientists point out that small and marginal farmers will be excluded...