Today, the Supreme Court of India will hear arguments in what is emerging as a national disgrace: One of the world’s largest stockpiles of foodgrain going to rot and rodent because the government lacks the vision, ability and commitment to either store it properly or distribute it to the poor. Let me recap what I reported on the front-page of this paper last month: About a third of India’s grain reserves,...

Politicians, from the ruling party and opposition alike, are grappling with the problem of how to effectively communicate with their constituencies on the issue of high food inflation. One had thought it would be easy for the opposition to mount a campaign on rising prices against the ruling coalition, but it appears that inflation and its impact on the political economy is far more complex today than it was 10...

India’s top grain-producers Punjab and Haryana will raise planting of Basmati Rice as floods have washed away the recently sown regular grades, farmers and trade officials said on Monday. Basmati Rice can be planted late, but yields are much lower than regular grades, with farmers also having to face fluctuating market prices, unlike common rice grades that official agencies buy at fixed, attractive rates. “Paddy output will certainly drop this year. However,...

Warmer nights may spoil the aroma of basmati and cause the rice to become sticky when cooked, scientists have warned after a study of how climate change may affect the quality of rice. Field experiments by scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, suggest that high temperatures could hurt the quality of rice through loss of aroma and changes in starch leading to higher stickiness. Several previous studies have...

India should be able to lift the ban on non-Basmati Rice imports this year as a bumper crop is expected due to a positive outlook on monsoon rain, traders said on Tuesday. India, the world’s second largest exporter of rice after Thailand banned exports of non-Basmati Rice in 2008, as high prices of the grain put pressure on domestic supply. “India should come online this year as the harvest is expected to...