-The New Indian Express Rice has never been a staple food of Punjab, and the irony is that the rice crop covers the largest fertile area in Punjab. The recent developments regarding the international trade of Indian wheat has sparked a debate about India’s export policies. Besides the economics of the export ban move and India’s foreign policy, the public health perspective should also influence decisions regarding  the trading and distribution of...

-NDTV.com India banned wheat exports earlier this month as an intense heat wave hit output and domestic prices hit a record high. Davos: International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva on Tuesday implored India to reconsider its ban on wheat exports, saying the country could play a key role in international food security and global stability. "I do have an appreciation for the fact that India needs to feed nearly 1.35 billion people...

-Livemint.com The political economy favours the government taking tough measures to protect the consumers — more numerous and more vocal than producers — even if these measures go against the grain of economic sense. India’s decision to restrict wheat export is disappointing but not a big surprise. Banning exports has been the government’s standard response to any shortage of agricultural commodities, denying farmers the benefit of global prices when these are high....

-The Tribune Experts urge the government to be cautious on wheat export, suggest an upper cap, say traders dictating markets New Delhi: Wheat production in the country is down due to “early summers”, the government’s procurement has reduced and the prices of ‘atta’ and byproducts like bread, rusks and biscuits are rising by the day. While the government is calling increasing exports as “beneficial” for farmers, experts are advocating “caution”, including imposing...

-Business Standard Experts feel this could keep prices of major farm commodities and products dependent on them, such as poultry and meat, at an elevated level for quite some time By the end of this financial year or perhaps even earlier, depending upon the crop cycle, India might be staring at a multi-year low closing inventory levels of several key farm commodities. Stocks of sugar, wheat, cotton and oilseeds both, with traders and...