-Newsclick.in The lockdown has got the government talking about agri ‘reforms’ again, but the exploitation of India’s weakest farmers continues unchecked. It is a cruel irony that in the sixth week of the nationwide lockdown, the government is talking up omnibus agriculture “reforms” as if they can mitigate the growing distress in rural India. Reforms, no doubt, implies stricter compliance with online registration and payment rules, more focus on market-based pricing, and...

-Hindustan Times Three main factors are driving food prices higher, according to data from the consumer affairs ministry, as well as a dozen agricultural produce market committees (APMCs), which are state-regulated wholesale points. New Delhi: The prices of key staples, barring cereals, have surged nearly three times from a month ago because of a noticeable supply shock amid the three-week nationwide lockdown to fight the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, according to official...

-The Hindu Business Line Onion prices may be cooling, but food inflation likely to remain high; core inflation a worry Consumers staring at rising prices are unlikely to have much reprieve. Analysts believe that retail inflation may be peaking now but caution that prices will remain high in coming months. So while onion prices have come down, your monthly grocery bill could still be on the higher side for the first half of...

-Outlook India Khammam district in Telangana has taken the initiative to set up temporary decentralised village level camps called “Rythu Mitra Kendras”. The administration of Khammam district in Telangana has taken the innovative initiative of setting up temporary decentralised village level camps called “Rythu Mitra Kendras” during the current agricultural marketing season. These camps are equipped with cotton moisture measurement machines. Through an aggressive communication campaign, small and marginal farmers have been encouraged...

-Livemint.com The government’s inordinately large food stockpiles have resulted in an artificial market scarcity On 7 January, the ministry of statistics released India’s advance estimates of national income for 2019-20, pegging the economy’s growth rate this financial year at 5%. Based on data available for the first two quarters, this seems an overestimate. Most indicators suggest that actual growth may be lower than 5%. This is bad news, especially since there is...