India's anxiety over erratic monsoon rains will become more acute as rising incomes and a growing population push up demand for farmed produce faster than supply, turning the nation into a major importer within 5 years. Forecasts of a normal monsoon this year have stirred hopes for smooth supplies and low inflation, reversing setbacks from last year's poor rains. But the country must boost yields if it is to feed...

Both sides will have to rise above politics and focus on the water crisis, which requires difficult and bitter solutions.  As the long hot summer sizzles, one's thoughts in Lahore and Amritsar turn to water. It is scarce on both sides of the border. When the British finally and fully took over the Punjab in 1849, their thoughts turned to the possibility of engineering for agriculture. In the 1860s, they...

India's annual food inflation edged up for the second week, rising to 16.49% for the week ended May 8 as shown by the official data released on Thursday. The food inflation stood at 16.44% the previous week, up from 16.04% for the week ended April 24. Data on the wholesale price index (WPI) released by the commerce and industry ministry showed that food inflation rose though the index for this...

With expectations of a record wheat production this year (2009-10), the Union government is upbeat about providing food grains to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families on a sustained basis under the proposed National Food Security Bill. “Despite the drought caused by (-) 23 per cent rainfall during the kharif season this year, farmers have maintained a production of 170.29 million tonnes of rice and wheat… which calls for satisfaction. With...

The Food Security Bill is unlikely to see the light of the day this fiscal. According to agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, though the UPA government is committed to providing food security to all, the below poverty line (BPL) math and elaborate procedure required to draft this law will take another 8-10 months. Speaking in the capital on Thursday, Pawar said: “The procedure involves incorporation of statistics from Planning Commission about BPL...