-The Economic Times PUNE: Chicken prices have shot up in recent times and have been hovering above Rs 180/kg (retail rates) in big cities for close to a month now due to an increase in demand because of beef ban and Ramadan. High temperatures too have caused a supply shortage across the country, unlike in the past, when the shortage was restricted to a few regions. Currently , the retail price for...

-Livemint.com Doling out farm loan waivers without addressing rural distress is just kicking the can down the road and playing into the hands of the moral hazard brigade Last week, farmers agitating for better prices for their produce of onions and pulses—prices for both of which have witnessed a steep fall in recent months—in Mandsaur district of western Madhya Pradesh turned violent. Coming in the backdrop of a similar agitation by farmers in...

-The Indian Express State govt starts gathering details of outstanding farm loans Chandigarh: Agitating farmers in Haryana have refused to withdraw their agitation despite the acceptance of several demands of farmers in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Haryana farmers, who are sitting on dharna in many parts of the state, have decided to block national highways and state highways for three hours on June 16. On the other hand, keeping in view the...

-Livemint.com Behind the rising tide of farmers’ protests lie several structural weaknesses facing the farm economy In a year when farm growth has crossed the 4% mark and official statistics show a record increase in production, one would have expected farmers to celebrate. Instead, farmers in states such as Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are out on the streets protesting, and in some cases, facing bullets from the local police. What explains this...

-Hindustan Times In Mandsaur, demonetisation has disrupted every aspect of the rural economy – land markets, credit networks, procurement, and crop prices. Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh): Traders rued their burnt shops, farmers mourned the death of their sons to police bullets; but as four days of violence drew to a close, both sides could only speak of one thing: demonetisation. “Notebandi destroyed the trust between farmer and trader,” said Sunil Ghatiya, a soybean trader...