-Frontline The inability to resolve pressing problems with respect to the production, distribution and availability of food is one of the important failures of the entire economic reform process. IN the fateful month of July 1991, when the devaluation of the Indian rupee presaged the introduction of a whole series of liberalising economic reforms, agriculture was very far from the minds of most policymakers and commentators. The immediate focus was on...

-The Hindu Business Line Agriculture Ministry expects record harvest this year New Delhi: With the monsoon covering the entire country this week, sowing of kharif crops till July 15, at 559.76 lakh hectares (lh), surpassed last year’s acreage of 548.38 lh as farmers planted more rice, pulses, coarse cereals, oilseeds and Sugarcane. Cotton was the only crop that witnessed a drop in acreage, at 75.41 lh in the June to July 15 period...

-The Indian Express Government committee must work out a sustainable policy framework to address scarcity and inflation in pulses The government’s decision to form a panel headed by chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian to study and suggest ways to contain the rising prices of pulses is a welcome move. The committee is expected to frame a long-term policy, which will look into various aspects, including the MSP (minimum support price) and bonus...

-The Hindu Business Line Acreage under cotton, oilseed cultivation still low but likely to improve New Delhi: With surplus rain recorded between June 30 and July 6, sowing of rice and pulses picked up pace with the total acreage under the two crops, since the beginning of June, exceeding last year’s levels for the same period. The sharp decline in acreage under cotton and oilseeds, however, resulted in lower acreage under all kharif...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: The season's rainfall deficit contracted to 2% from 6% in a day on Monday. The weather office has forecast heavy showers in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and t parts of east in the next 24 hours. This could speed up planting of i paddy, oilseeds, coarse cereals, cotton, Sugarcane and pulses. Monday's rainfall, 14.8 mm, was 74% higher than normal, as monsoon reached new areas...