-Newsclick.in Privatisation of grain procurement and cap on procurement subsidies are among the ideas being floated. Amid a slew of worrying news on the food grain front, the Narendra Modi-led government not only appears to be strangely cool, but it is also throwing up bizarre proposals to change the whole procurement-distribution system. This could be the famous ‘using a crisis as an opportunity’ mode of thinking that has led to catastrophic effects...

-The Telegraph There has been a pick-up in the prices of vegetables, fruits, eggs, meat and fish and cereals mostly because of erratic rains Wholesale price index-based (WPI) inflation eased to a 11-month low of 12.41 per cent in August on softening in the prices of manufactured and fuel products even as food items remained expensive. Although WPI inflation declined for three consecutive months in August, it remained in double digits for...

-IndiaSpend.com Punjab has amongst the highest use of fertilisers, pesticides and large machinery, including government support for chemical farming, making it difficult to transition to organic and natural farming. Chandigarh: When Ashok Kumar, 63, started doing organic farming on three acres of his farm in Sohangarh Rattewala village in Punjab's western Ferozepur district in 2012, the benefits of good health and a cleaner environment were foremost on his mind. Besides growing food...

-Livemint.com Wheat production estimate sees marginal upward revision to 106.8 million tons, though current rate lowest in 3 years. New Delhi: Production of foodgrain in India — comprising rice, wheat, coarse grains and pulses — is estimated at a record 315.7 million tonnes in 2021-22, shows the fourth advance estimates released by the Agriculture Ministry on Wednesday. According to the latest numbers, wheat production is revised upwards, though marginally, from 106.4 million tonnes...

-Down to Earth blog Palm oil is water-intensive and requires large patches of land India is the second-largest consumer of edible oil globally and its largest importer. While the government has taken several initiatives over the years to increase the domestic production of edible oils, its shortage and high price are often in the news. Palm oil production grew between 2015-2016 and 2020-2021 at a compound annual growth rate of 6.1 per cent,...