As food inflation rises again and the prices of daily consumption vegetables and fruits remain high, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has convened a high-level meeting here on Monday to review the situation. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar will chair the meeting, which is expected to be attended, among others, by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit. The latter has been invited to work out the possibility of opening more outlets for sale...

A thriving black market in kerosene, estimated to be worth Rs 10,000 crore every year, killed additional collector Yeshwant Sonawane. A litre of kerosene sold at ration shops is often costlier than a bottle of packaged water. Most of this "poor man's fuel" is pilfered and sold in the black market for a price that's two or three times higher. It's really money for jam. Sonawane tried to meddle with this...

An innovative mechanism to save farmers from exploiting traders, which India implemented as a national model in the 70s, is now being blamed for rising vegetable prices.     Agricultural produce marketing committees (APMCs) have become archaic and vegetables and fruits need to be taken out of these local market hubs, analysts say. “They have turned into platform for hoarders, rather than a buyer-seller platform,” farm expert Sompal, who was formerly union agriculture...

Three days after arrival of 200 tonnes of onions from Pakistan, an additional 426 tonnes of the vegetable has also landed at Mundra port in Gujarat from the neighbouring country to boost domestic supply. "Second consignment of 426 tonnes of onions imported by the Indian government from Pakistan landed at the Mundra port yesterday (Sunday)," official sources said on Monday. "After the two consignments, rest 374 tonnes of the contracted onions...

The first consignment of about 200 tonnes of onion imported by the government from Pakistan landed at the Mundra port in Gujarat today and is likely to reach Delhi on Tuesday. The government had asked state-owned trading agencies PEC and State Trading Corporation (STC) to import onion to boost domestic supply and rein in the soaring prices of the kitchen staple. Since Pakistan had banned trade of onion to India through land...