-Bloomberg   World food prices will drop this year as increase in unemployment in developing and developed countries slows growth in demand, the United Nations said.   “We have started to see a decline in food prices,” Jose Graziano da Silva, director general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, said at a conference in Hanoi on Thursday. World economic expansion will slow to 3.3% this year from 3.8% in 2011, according to the International...

-The Times of India   The Gujarat government has decided to come up with a new policy that would ensure that state's farmers do not have to depend on cotton Export in order to earn a high price of their produce. Announcing this in the state assembly, state industries minister Saurabh Patel told the house that the government plans to come up with a scheme that would encourage the existing ginning mills...

-PTI Biotech (Bt) crop technology has more than doubled India’s cotton production, a government report card said today, calling for more such revolutions. “By 2011-12, almost 90 per cent of cotton area is covered under Bt cotton and production has more than doubled. ... more such revolutions to accelerate agri-growth are needed,” said the State of Indian Agriculture 2011-2012. Cotton crop yields have gone up almost 70 per cent and Export potential...

-The Economic Times India has lifted the week old ban on cotton Exports following intense political protests, but stiff riders have been put in place to discourage overseas hoarding.  Exports will be allowed only of consignments that had been registered before the ban after scrutiny and revalidation to eliminate ``fictitious'' transactions while issue of fresh registration certificates has been put on hold. The group of ministers headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee,...

-The Business Standard Cotton Export ban was an example of poor policy The government’s sudden move to ban cotton Exports – rolled back in less than a week following anger from cotton farmers and adverse political fallout — reflects very poorly on its policy management. The commerce ministry clamped down on Exports without clear logic; prior consultations with other ministries concerned were also cursory or non-existent. Unsurprisingly, most players in the cotton...