Wheat prices have staged the most drastic rise in more than 50 years, as a drought in Russia fuels growing worries that it could lead to a global shortage of the grain. Harsh heat and a lack of rain in Russia have killed half of the crop in some hard-hit areas. The slump in production in one of the world's most fertile breadbaskets has pushed prices up 62% since early June,...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Total Matching Records found : 1695
‘Monsoon rises to normal in main crop areas’ by Ratnajyoti Dutta
India’s monsoon rains were about 3% above normal in July, the highest for the month since 2005, making a repeat of last year’s crop failure and food-led inflation surge unlikely. Heavy rain since the third week of July has brought readings above normal for the first time this monsoon season, according to weather office data, wiping out the seasonal shortfall in almost all major grain areas other than in the east...
More »Does the govt know how to control rising prices? by Subodh Varma
Does the government really have any clue about how to go about controlling prices? A quick survey of statements made by everybody from the prime minister downwards shows a picture of groping in the dark, while handing out empty assurances from time to time. What is worse, it's all smoke and mirrors for the public. Coming as it does from a government that is loaded with top-notch economists, it is...
More »Inflation: A nation forced to go on distress diet by Rukmini Shrinivasan
After nearly 15 straight months of double-digit food inflation, the government announced on Thursday that food inflation had dipped to 9.67% for the week that ended on July 17. That's small consolation for most Indians, particularly the poor, who have seen a relentless assault on their food budgets that has resulted in essential items being dropped from the menu, giving rise to a whole new enforced "austerity diet". Since no...
More »Detracting from entitlements by Brinda Karat
The National Advisory Council's proposals on the Food Security Bill represent a bad deal for the poor. The struggle for an effective and equitable Food Security Bill (FSB) has received a setback with the disappointing proposals put forward by the National Advisory Council. There is a disturbing disjuncture between what is being claimed and the actual implications of the proposals. Indeed it may be said that the NAC proposals create new...
More »
